The Keeper of Oblivion
by Violet Young
Summary: Riku and Namine are in love. Riku leaves again because of his darkness. Namine convinces him to take her too. Through their memories and adventures, the relationship of the two is revealed; how it began, how it ended, and how it was put back together.
1. Chapter 1

- Riku -

"Going somewhere?"

My eyes darted over to where the voice had come from. A tall, pale figure, slightly glowing stood in my doorway. Her blonde hair fell just below her shoulders, and her eyes shimmered a bright piercing blue. A familiar blue. The same blue as Sora's.

"Oh, Namine, it's you." I said, sighing in relief, turning back to the rucksack I was packing. But before I could continue, I remembered how impossible that was. My head snapped back in disbelief, and my eyes widened "Namine?" I said incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugged her thin shoulders, her somewhat transparent form wavering slightly.

"How are you here?" My hand involuntarily loosened around the bag I was carrying, and it dropped to the floor beside me. I hardly noticed. I crossed the room in a few slow steps and gazed into her eyes, seeing my own disbelief reflected in them. She seemed to pulse with light, her glow illuminating the dark room. She stepped past me easily, going further into the room.

_She looks beautiful._ I thought to myself before I could stop. I turned and followed her, speechless.

"I needed to be." She said quietly, nonchalantly, staring out the enormous windows out to the island. "A storms coming." She remarked, gazing up at the rippling clouds that were darkening the horizon. I peered out too. She was right. Even between the few minutes that I had begun to pack my bag the wind had picked up sharply, bending the trees and churning the water. I turned to her.

"Why are you here?"

She gazed at me for a few moments, her face betraying nothing. "I told you before. I was needed."

"No offense or anything," I said hesitantly, "but, I think you're wrong. It's not that I don't want you here –" I added hastily, "it's wonderful to see you again… but I don't need…" I trailed off, unsure of how to finish. Namine simply stared at me, her face disbelieving. I turned from the window and knelt to pick up my fallen bag, trying to avoid her stare, and began replacing the stuff that had tumbled out. I could still feel her gaze on me, and my stomach twisted unpleasantly. I stood up again and dropped the pack gingerly on my bed, the old mattress squeaking in quiet protest. I turned and began to go about my room, continuing packing as if Namine wasn't there.

"You're leaving." There was no question in her cool tone, and I sighed in defeat.

"Yes. I am." I strode out of my room and onto the balcony, and leaned against the railing, the wind ripping at my silver hair. I had no choice but to leave. I had always known that, even after Sora and I managed to return. Maybe this world wasn't meant for me. Or maybe I wasn't meant for this world.

But this was my home. If I wasn't meant for here, then where could I possibly belong to?

_Darkness, of course,_ an icy voice in the back of my mind crackled. I immediately gripped the banister tighter, until my fingers were screaming in protest, and goose bumps flew up my arms.

So silently I didn't hear her coming, Namine was at my side, the corners of her mouth pulled down in a slight frown. I followed her gaze and realized she was staring at my clenched fingers, and I immediately dropped them off the rail, ignoring the wonderful release that followed. I folded my arms across my chest and turned so I was facing my room again, and leaned against the railing. Namine stepped in front of me, refusing to be ignored, and reached out and grabbed one of my hands. For someone who was hardly there, she had a strong grip. She took my hand in both of hers, and ran her fingers lightly up and down my arm, checking the goose bumps, sending tingles shooting through my body. I did my best to ignore them and focused instead on keeping my face blank.

She turned my palm over and over, and I leaned closer to her unconsciously, trying to see what she was doing. When she drew her head up again, her face was only inches from mine. She didn't flinch, or back away as I had expected, but stared at me instead, her cerulean eyes drawing my in until I was lost in the endless blue pools. She raised my hand deliberately, and titled my palm until it was vertical and parallel with the rest of my body. She took her free hand and thrust it against mine.

It was as if someone had shocked me, and as the electric current ran through my veins, darkness surrounded us, until it was nearly pitch black. All I could see was Namine and myself.

I tensed automatically, and looked around, my eyes trying to find purchase in the darkness. Namine remained completely calm, and stood as if she were waiting for something. Suddenly, light flashed across the space, and a million images were flowing by the two of us. Sora, Kairi, the King, Maleficent, Ansem, Kingdom Hearts, everything that had ever taken place in my life flew by inches from my face, and I stared in disbelief and wonder. The memories were like bits of light, which once they were close enough, expanded until you could see everything inside them. Chains began to form around them, winding this way and that, and the entire scene began to form something in the dark. The bits of light began to change color, as did the metallic chains surrounding them, until the all wound together to create a picture. When they finished, a simple portrait of a beach remained. But it was oddly familiar. The water was darkened to pitch, and the sky lay naked and starless, stretching out forever. I heard voices behind me, and Namine and I turned simultaneously, never letting our hands disconnect.

My mouth dropped as I saw who it was. Sora and I were sitting on the beach twenty paces from me and Namine, completely oblivious of our presence. As I started to make out bits of the conversation, my mouth turned up in a half smile. It was right after we had killed Xemnas, and in a moment, the door to light would open to lead us home. I could swear I could almost see Kairi, a million miles away, standing on the beach in Destiny Islands, waiting for us. My heart warmed with the memory, and I smiled.

Suddenly, dark blotches began to appear on the edges of my peripheral vision. I blinked furiously, trying to clear them away. But they only grew bigger. Great swirling purple masses floated within them, and before I knew it they were taking over the scene. I could no longer hear Sora and I's conversation, and an empty silence echoed across the abyss. A deathly cold wind blew, making my hair stand on end, sending a shiver up my spine. I knew what would happen next. I had had this nightmare so many times already. It still didn't make me any less fearful of what I would see behind me.

I turned slowly around, panic pumping through my veins. A tall dark figure with long silver hair and searing gold eyes stood in the black, and I felt my knees begin to quiver. My stomach turned upside down and I stifled the urge to vomit.

Ansem, just as transparent as Namine, was standing a few feet from me.

I tried to step back, but I couldn't.

"No." I said quietly. My heart froze in my chest, and my head became light. Fear and adrenaline pulsed through my veins, and I broke into a cold sweat.

His golden eyes blazed with a fierce malice, and behind them I could see a wretched, mocking certainty.

"So, you have returned." He chuckled quietly.

"No!" I growled fiercely, reaching back for the Way to Dawn, and finding only darkness. "No!" I said again, weaker this time.

Ansem only laughed at me, and began to saunter forward. My heart was beating so fast I was hyperventilating, and my head spun. And then he was inches from my face, his hot breath swirling in my head.

"Did you honestly think you could escape?" He breathed.

"No!" I roared in fierce defiance, my hands flying up to cover my face. But the minute my hand was no long touching Namine's the connection severed, and with a rough jolt we were dropped back onto my porch.

My knees collapsed before my feet were on the ground, and they slammed into the hard wood. Catching myself with my hands before I could fall further, I crouched on my hands and knees, sweat pouring off my face, gasping for breathe.

Namine just stood there. Her eyes were dulled with sadness, and I swore I saw a tear burn down her face.

"I thought so." She breathed, and even though I could hardly hear her I could feel the sadness in her voice. I stood unsteadily and turned away from her, disgusted with myself.

The wind tore at us silently for a few minutes, neither of us speaking, when Namine finally said.

"So, you're leaving?" She said, an accusing edge in her tone. My fists and teeth clenched. She had no right to judge me for this. There was nothing more I could do.

"I don't have any other choice." I said through my teeth, spitting out the words.

She didn't respond to that, but I knew what she was thinking. Her silence said it louder than words. Yes, you do.

"Sora?" She said, catching me off guard. I turned before I could stop myself to look at her, to see what she meant. Her eyes were quizzical, doubtful, and her eyebrows were so high they were lost in her hair. I understood immediately. I was going to leave Sora. Again.

My heart wrenched in my chest at the thought of what that would do to him. And Kairi. We had only been back for two months, and I was going to leave them again. Just like I always did.

But this time was different, I told myself. Before I was leaving to give in to darkness, I was selfish, and didn't care what happened to the islands, or Sora. Now I was leaving to… escape the darkness? No. That was a lie. But I was leaving to protect this time, not to gain. To save the islands from myself. My stomach twisted horribly at the thought of me harming this place, or any of my friends, again. I didn't want to believe it could happen, but it had before, and I wasn't about to overestimate my strength again. Instead I would live with my weakness in hiding, where it couldn't hurt anyone. A vision flashed briefly through my mind of me, my hands glowing with black fire, a twisted dark guardian behind me, and my eyes glowing golden embers. Fear spiked through me unexpectedly. And at that point I knew nothing Namine could say could possibly make me stay.

"Sora can take care of himself." I said, pretending not to care.

Namine stepped over to me in one of her liquid movements, and was in front of me faster than I could blink. She stared directly into my eyes until I couldn't look away

"Do you really think this is right?" she said softly, incredulously. "Do you really think leaving is the only way? You'll break Sora's heart if you go, and Kairi's. They don't want you to go, they don't care. Maybe they can help you." She was pleading now, begging me to stay. My face betrayed nothing, and my electric blue eyes shimmered with ice.

"How do you know?" I threw at her quietly, my scowl deepening. She broke our gaze abruptly, and I watched her eyes flit around my face, apparently looking for something. Before I could stop her, or step back, her hands were at the side of my face, pulling it down gently until she could look into it completely. She sighed, seemingly a thousand miles away.

"Your eyes. I haven't seen them like this for a while. And they haven't been until just recently. You're doing this to yourself." She breathed.

My eyes hardened, and I broke away from her immediately, turning my back to her. I didn't want her to see the hurt on my face, or fear. Looks like it was back to the blindfold. I didn't bother to try and look in a mirror. I knew what I would see.

Something touched my cheek, and I flinched away until I realized what it was. It was the back of Namine's hand, and she began to stroke my face. I felt my resolve waver briefly, and tears threatened at the corners of my eyes, but I held them back. So gently I hardly noticed what she was doing, Namine tilted my head until back until I faced her again, her eyes brimming with sorrow and fierce defiance. Her hand lingered on my cheek, soft and warm, and without ordering it to do anything, my arm reached up and held it there.

A small sad smile crossed her lips.

"Must you always run away?" she whispered.

We stared at each other for a few minutes in silence – even the wind seemed to have quieted, before a distant rumble of thunder shocked us out of our reverie. Then the first drops began to fall.

"I'm leaving." I said firmly.

"I know." She replied. "I'm coming."

- Kairi -

My feet pounded against the dirt road as I ran, my breath coming in short gasps. The orange twilight sun set the sky on fire and shed everything in a yellow glow. The sea glimmered behind me, and I followed the all-to-familiar dirt path past the small white island houses. A bike passed by me, but I didn't look to see who was on it. I didn't have time. And other than me and the biker, the roads were deserted. It was 7:00 on the island, and nearly every one was at home eating dinner, doing homework, or just relaxing. I laughed to myself as I ran. What a small world. In by seven on weekdays to spend time with family. And no one had any idea what was out past the horizon; really no one even thought to wonder what was beyond the horizon. The islands were possibly the most peaceful world out there. And I loved it. Riku and Sora may get restless, but, I don't know, being here was just… right. I liked adventure, but I loved my home more.

I turned the final corner onto Backbay road, which was only one over from the beach, and sprinted the last fifty feet down to Sora's house. It was a two story simple white one, with a small balcony on the top floor. I raced up the walk and knocked on the maroon wooden door, ringing the door bell as well. I heard some steps from within the white stucco, and Sora's mom answered the door a minute later.

She was very pretty, with brown hair and blue eyes the exact same color as Sora's. She broke into an easy smile, the one I had always known growing up, her face creasing into the lines that had formed from her constant happiness. She looked as if she hadn't a care in the world, and really, she hadn't. Island life was easy, was paradise. Sure there were the usual worries of living, but she had never quite had it hard. She held the door open for me and I smelled something amazing coming from the kitchen.

"Kairi! How wonderful to see you." She said in her warm voice. "Come in, please."

I stepped into the familiar foyer a little awkwardly, not really sure what to say, my hands laced together behind my back. The walls were covered with pictures of Sora as a little kid, usually with me and Riku by his side. I smiled as I looked at them. It seemed so simple back then. To my right was the family room, and Sora's father sat reading the paper with the TV on.

"Hello Kairi." He said without looking up

"Hello." I said quietly.

"Would you like to stay for dinner Kairi?" She asked as she walked back to the kitchen.

"Um, no thanks." I replied, "Is Sora here?"

"Oh yes, he's up in his room. I think he's doing his homework." She called from the kitchen. The room shook as she said this, and I heard a thud coming from Sora's room. His parents remained completely oblivious. I laughed quietly to myself.

"Ok, I'll go check on him." I said as I climbed the stairs.

Sora's room was dark when I walked in, the fading twilight barely providing any light. The computer in the corner helped, but not much. Sora stood in the middle of his cluttered room, holding his keyblade. Practicing. As usual.

When he heard me come in the keyblade vanished out of his hands and he turned, a look of panic on his face.

"Hey mom I was just –"

I laughed and waved my fingers at him.

"Kairi!" He said, his face lighting up immediately. He sprang across the room and took me into his arms, bending me low before kissing me briefly. My heart went wild even at his touch, and I laughed as he brought me back and spun me around until we stood with my arms around his neck and his around my waist.

"So what are you doing here?"

"You know, if you're going to insist on practicing, you might want to at least shut the door."

"Working on it." He leaned behind me and pushed the door closed, and kissed me again.

"So, what's up?"

My smile vanished the minute he said this as I remembered. I sat down on his unmade bed, my chest suddenly hollow.

"What? What is it?" He asked, his smile slowly fading

He knelt down and placed his hand on my knee.

"Sora, can you ever feel Roxas?"

"What?" He sat down next to me on the bed, twisting his fingers through mine.

"Roxas? He's never left before, has he?"

"Um, I don't think so." Sora said, furrowing is brow. Sora never had really caught on to the whole nobody thing. It still was very weird to him that there was a completely different person inside of his heart. Then again, I guess it should be weird to everyone. But I knew Namine before she bonded with me, and when I met her I just knew she was me. Or at least a part of me. It seemed obvious that she should be in my heart. It felt wrong when she wasn't there.

"Kairi what's wrong?" He asked, the smile gone from his voice, his eyes brimming with concern. I looked up, meeting his gaze, a tear streaking down my cheek.

"It's Namine." I said quietly. My hand went over my heart involuntarily. "I think she's gone."

- Namine-

We had been walking through the dense jungle of the Destiny Islands for around three hours. I really had no idea where he was going, and why he didn't just open a portal to get there. I knew he was definitely leaving this world; there was no way he'd just climb the mountain and live in a cave for the rest of his life. But why did we have to hike. It was around eighty-five degrees and humid. The terrain wasn't too rough, but it was tiresome. And although I didn't dare say anything, my feet were killing me; I wasn't exactly wearing the best hiking outfit. But I couldn't complain. It had taken enough time to actually convince him to let me come; there was no way I was going to make him regret the decision anymore then he already did. I refused to be a burden, or at least, any more of one than I already was.

I tried to draw my attention away from my blistering feet by guessing where he was going to take us. What world would he chose? Probably a familiar one – he wouldn't want to be in an area he didn't know well. But still, somewhere secluded, away from a general population. There was no way he'd leave the islands just to put another town in danger.

Or so he thought. I, on the other hand, severely disagreed. He wasn't dangerous. He was just lost.

I think that's the reason I came after him. I had been watching him for a long time, ever since a few weeks after he and Sora came back. It didn't take long for him to get restless. Sora and Kairi never noticed though, and I guess the only reason I did was because I was watching him so thoroughly. I noticed his fingers twitch when the three of them talked about different worlds. I saw his eyes dart from side to side in boredom more and more frequently as the weeks passed. I saw him when he thought no one was looking, how his mouth pulled down and his eyes grew sad.

But why was I even watching him in the first place? I shouldn't have. Really, I shouldn't have even come. But it was too late to turn back now. I was pretty sure I couldn't even if I wanted to. Being in his presence again, as a real person…

Well, kind of a real person.

Anyway, I came because I knew he was going to leave, and I knew I couldn't let him go on his own. I couldn't stand the thought of him… alone, in the middle of nowhere, hating himself. The thought made my stomach curl. I had wanted to convince him to stay, but I knew that wasn't going to work. So I decided to go with him, whether he wanted me to or not. And now that I was with here, I had to try and convince him to come back.

We hadn't spoken since he had given in, and I didn't dare to break the silence. I was scared of what he would say, or how mad he was that I had forced him to bring me.

He must have been shocked to see me there, now that I thought about it. We hadn't spoken since… well, Organization XIII's castle in the World that Never Was. And that wasn't exactly a great conversation…

I didn't want to remember, so I shook my head slightly and tried to think of something else.

Before I could stop myself, I glanced over at him shyly through my hair. He was reaching into his pants pocket, his eyes distant and preoccupied.

I drank in his beautiful face while he couldn't see me. His eyes were a delicate shade of gold at the very center, but the aquamarine held on throughout the rest of his pupils. They weren't anything like when he was Ansem. I shivered slightly, unable to stop myself from remembering… but no. I refuse to think about that. I forced myself to look down at the ground and count my steps.

I caught sight of my hand as I concentrated, and I held it up to see it better. It wasn't nearly as transparent as before; by now it was practically solid. I really had no idea how I had actually detached myself from Kairi. It was earlier this morning, when she was still sleeping. I knew that Riku was going to leave, and I knew I had to get to him before he did, or I knew I'd never find him. And suddenly, I was sitting on the bed beside Kairi, rather than inside her. She was still asleep, and I was awake, outside of her. I couldn't even really see myself at first, it was like I was a shadow. I could walk through stuff too; it was incredibly bizarre. It took everything I had to keep from slipping into the floor.

But eventually, as the day wore on, I became more solid. And it was such a relief. I don't mind being with Kairi, but really, nothing is better than having your own body that you can command at will. The sense of freedom was invigorating. The only problem was I wasn't sure how to get back inside Kairi – and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to anyways. And I didn't know how it would affect Kairi when I left. Really, it was an incredibly selfish thing for me to do… but I had to help Riku. And it was only for a little bit. Once this was over, I would go back to her… And I felt my nonexistent heart drop at the thought. I didn't want to go back.

No. It didn't matter what I wanted. I was a nobody. That was my destiny.

But honestly, I really didn't feel a difference when I was in Kairi or out of her. I still felt like me… I still felt… whole. I dared myself to think the word. Whole. It was ridiculous. Nobodies weren't whole by definition. But I _felt_ whole.

But what if I had taken something from Kairi, and that was the reason I felt like this. What if I had taken her heart?

My hands flew to my throat in horror as I thought this, checking for a heartbeat. I felt all around, on my neck, my wrists, my chest, everywhere a pulse was supposed to be.

I couldn't find one.

I sighed in relief.

Then I noticed that Riku was looking at me, eyebrows raised, eyes quizzical.

I blushed and laughed quickly, offering no explanation for my strange behavior. He could think what he wanted. I looked back down at my feet, avoiding his gaze.

Then I heard him suck in a breath quietly. I looked over at him, and saw he was looking at my feet too.

I didn't blame him for being surprised. They were rather gruesome.

Next thing I knew he had me by the hand and was dragging me over to a massive tree root, and forcing me to sit down without a word.

"No, Riku, really, I'm fine. It's ok, it doesn't hurt." He silenced me with a look, and I allowed myself grudgingly to be sat down, trying to ignore how absolutely wonderful it felt to take the weight off my feet.

He had his backpack off, and was rummaging inside of it after quickly stuffing whatever he had taken out of his pocket back into it's place.  
He pulled out a long strip of gauze and some tape, before turning back to me to pull off my shoes. As I realized what he was doing, I stopped him.

"Here, I can do that." I mumbled. He didn't object, and leaned back away from me, taking advantage of the moments rest.

"Nice shoes." He murmured. I glared at him.

"Sorry, I didn't know I would be playing nature girl today. If I did, I would have worn the other white dress."

He actually laughed, but stifled it immediately, looking at my feet again.

"Well then why the hell didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to be a burden." I said incoherently. Riku laughed again, but the humor was gone from it.

"Then you should have stayed with Kairi." He didn't say it unkindly, but I still felt the sting of the words. The smile dropped from his face as he realized what he had said.

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't – I didn't mean…" he sighed, shaking his head, "I didn't mean it like that. You're not a burden. It's the fact that it's me you're with that's… difficult."

"So basically, if we were travelling together and you weren't actually you, I wouldn't be any trouble?" I said, letting sarcasm mar my tone slightly.

Riku laughed. "Yeah, that's pretty much it." I laughed too, trying to ignore the fact that he honestly thought he was putting me in danger.

My shoes were off by then, and I reached for the bandages, suddenly remembering why we had stopped.

But Riku got there before me. He scooched over to me, sitting on his knees, holding the bandages.

"You didn't honestly think I was going to leave your feet like that, did you?" He asked, putting the bandages behind him.

"Well, I…"

"Cure." He said, cutting me off.

The burning increased for a second, then vanished. I looked at my feet. As the green light faded, I saw that they were back to normal. There wasn't even a mark.

"Thank you!" I said breathlessly, then I paused. "But wait, what are the bandages for then?"

"So that it won't happen again." He chuckled, already winding the soft cushioned gauze around my left foot. His fingers brushed from my ankle to me toes, sending sparks up my legs.

"Oh. Thank you." I mumbled, touched by his concern. Really, I shouldn't be though. He probably only did it so he wouldn't have to keep stopping to heal me every hour.

"Seriously, though, why didn't you say anything? I could have just opened a portal and gotten us out of here." He said when he had finished.

"I told you. I don't want to be any trouble. And, I don't know, I thought you had somewhere specific you wanted to go." I looked around. "Where are we going anyway?"

Riku looked up at me guiltily. "Actually, no where really. I was trying to decide which world to go to, and I figured if we just sat still to decide you would just try to convince me not to go. So I started moving."

I sighed and slouched over, hanging my head. "So you mean I've been walking for three hours through the woods to the point where it's a miracle I don't have gangrene because you couldn't decide where you wanted to go?" I said incredulously.

Riku shrugged apologetically. "Well, that and also cause I love these woods. I wanted to say goodbye."

I snapped my mouth shut, instantly regretting my words. I changed the subject.

"So, do you have any idea which world you want to go to?"

"I think so. I was thinking of Port Royal. You know it?" He looked over at me, and I nodded. "Well, I've always loved that century, and I'm pretty sure I could find a secluded island somewhere. All we have to do is stow away or commandeer a ship." He said, lost in thought. Then he shook his head, remembering himself. "Is that ok with you?"

I shrugged. "Don't ask me." He looked over at me. "It really doesn't matter.," I smiled, "I go where you go."

He rolled his eyes. "I was afraid you'd say that." I laughed. God, being with him again was amazing. Laughing, talking, just like we used to. It was wonderful. I sighed contentedly and let my mind wander, not minding the few minutes of rest.

I thought about the world we were going to. It was nice enough, and I did love the clothing and food. But then there was the hygiene problem. I wrinkled my nose. Riku noticed.

"What?"

"You do know that they don't have bathrooms, right?" He laughed.

"I thought you said that you go where I go."

"Well, I do," I said quickly, "I was just making sure you… thought about the little stuff." He laughed again.

"Well, quite honestly, no matter what world we go to, whether they have plumbing or not, we probably wouldn't be using them anyway." He looked at me pointedly, raising his eyebrows. "Secluded, remember?"

"Right. Secluded."

We were silent for a few more minutes, then Riku got up.

"You ready?" he said.

I looked around me. It was so beautiful here. The golden light that shifted through the gently swaying trees, the wildflowers that popped out of every corner. The smell of the trees and the ocean, the blue of the sky. I wasn't ready.

"Yeah." I said, slipping on my sandals and rising to my feet.

Riku grabbed his rucksack from the ground and reached into his pocket simultaneously, pulling out a thin strip of black fabric. The blindfold.

Before I could stop myself, I gasped. I opened my mouth, his name on my lips. He pretended not to see me. I closed my mouth and bit my lip, the flood of painful memories making my chest ache.

I looked in his eyes, memorizing the blue, not sure when I would see them again. I couldn't help the crushing sadness that was thrusting itself down on me. He really thought he was that bad, that close to giving in. That close to becoming Ansem.

I wrapped my arms around my torso, trying to hold myself together. I looked away from him, giving him is privacy as he secured the strip around his eyes.

"Okay, all set" He said nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.

He opened a dark portal and motioned that I should go in first.

I took a deep breath, a last look around me, and began to walk through the portal.

I sensed it before I saw it. Riku wasn't following me. I turned around, halfway through to the other side. Riku was still at the entrance, looking around for what he thought would be the last time at his beloved world. A tear dripped from his eyes, and I felt my stomach twist horribly. But I made myself stay put, barring myselves from comforting him. Now wasn't the time. And this would not be the last time he saw his world; I would make sure of that. But for now, we had to go.

"Riku?" I said gently, urging him into the portal.

"Yeah." He said, wiping his eyes quickly, hoping I wouldn't notice. I turned my head away.

We turned and walked through the portal hesitantly. As we went in, I felt it close with a silent, untraceable whoosh, leaving everything that mattered behind us.


	2. Chapter 2

So… yeah. Not a whole new chapter, but still, something. A lot of something, actually, haha. Once again, sorry it took so long, haha. I'm just… a slow writer, I guess. So, anyways, I hope you like it. One of the stories, the memories, is about to pick up, so that should be fun. I just can't figure out what to do when Namine and Riku are in the different worlds. I mean, I know what I'm going to do… but I'm just so lazy. It's gonna take a long time. Not to mention the fact that my fanfictions aren't exactly ground-breaking works. I mean, they're my favorite to write, because I know the characters so well… but, I mean, what am I going to do with them? Motivation is lacking, I do them purely for my own enjoyment (which I guess is a good thing), but it puts them on the lower half of my daily priority list. But what the hell am I talking about? I digress. Sorry for the rambling – here's the second part of chapter 2

_ The first time I ever spoke to Riku, he thought I was Kairi. The second time, I was giving him one of the most difficult decisions of his life. The third time, I was positive that he was going kill me. He hated me, at least. And after that third encounter, I was pretty sure I was going to hate him for eternity as well._

_ "Diz says Riku's coming today." My voice reverberated around the hollow white room back to me, tasting of metal and disinfectant. Silence followed, far worse than the empty echo. I looked up at the enormous pod in front of me, wishing with everything that I had that somehow he could answer. But he couldn't._

_ I looked away from Sora, resting me face in my hands and my elbows on my knees. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. It was even more painful than I imagined, to piece back together Sora's memories and eliminate all recollection of me from his heart. To know that when he woke up he would wake to memories of Kairi. He would open his eyes and know who he was. He would know Riku. And he would love Kairi. Just as he should, he would feel the familiar tug on his heart where her memory was, and he would long to see her. And as his eyes adjusted to the light, his mind reeling with disorientation, all he would know is that she was somewhere, and that he wanted nothing more than to see her, the person most special to him. Then suddenly he would notice the outline of a girl standing a few feet from him, and his heart would race with anticipation, hoping beyond all reason that it was her, not bothering to wonder how she had gotten there, wherever he was. But then his eyes would focus, and he would see that although she looked like Kairi, her eyes were more blue than violet, and the vibrant red hair that he loved so much had been replaced with a soft blonde. And although the girl would speak to him as if she knew him, he would have no recollection of her whatsoever._

_ This entire process would take little over half a minute. 30 seconds. That was all the time he would need to shatter my heart._

_ But I didn't have a choice. He had decided, and he chose her. Not that I blame him. I would have done the same, I think._

_ So everyday I came to his room and fixed his memories._

_ And then sometimes, when I was lonely, I would talk to him. I figured maybe he was lonely too. I had to visit him; that's what friends do for one another. Even when it hurts more than you can imagine, that's what you do._

_ I had another reason too though. I talked to him because, even though I knew it was crazy and impossible, I hoped, dreamed, prayed that maybe he could hear me._

_ And today was an important day. His best friend was coming. He would want to know._

_ "I wonder what he'll think when he sees me." I laughed half-heartedly. "I mean, the last time he saw me, he thought I was Kairi… Still… I hope he likes me." My smile began to slip off my face, and as hard as I tried to keep it there, it just wouldn't stick. "It would be nice to have someone to talk to that can actually answer – or even hear me… I really hope he does… I'd like to have a real friend… with real memories…" My eyes welled up, and I wiped at them hurriedly, embarrassed although there was no one to see me._

_ I rose to my feet and stepped over to his pod, leaning against it and pressing my face and hands onto the cool, smooth glass. It was the closest I could ever be to him. I closed my eyes and imagined that the glass was fading beneath my fingertips. And then I was right next to him, so close I could touch him, and he was smiling at me. I bit my lip, so desperate to keep the illusion for as long as possible. _

_ I opened my eyes, and felt a tear escape down my cheek._

_ Because the more I imagined him, the clearer both he and his decision loomed above me. And on top of that were my own mistakes, which alone seemed too enormous for me to cope with._

_ A few more tear drops slid down my face, and I sniffled._

_ "I'm so sorry Sora." I whispered._

_ "What are you doing here?"_

_ I whirled around, ice pouring into my stomach._

_ To my immense relief, it was Riku. His hair had gotten a bit longer, and he had gotten taller. His eyes were a vibrant sea-green, like always. I felt tingles shoot down my spine. _

_ "Oh, Riku, you're here. Hi." I smiled, wiping away my tears hastily._

_ He turned to me, and the fear returned as quickly as it had gone. Because with the look he gave me, I thought he was going to kill me right there._

_ The smile dropped from my face, and I froze._

_ His eyes were ice, jagged and sharp, and his mouth was turned up in a mixture of disgust and fury. His hands were clenched into fists, and with a jolt I realized he was trembling, as if it was taking everything he had to keep himself rooted to where he stood. What he was holding himself back from doing, I really didn't want to find out._

_ "What are you doing here?" He hissed._

_ "What?" I breathed, fear threading itself through my voice._

_ "How dare you be in here!"_

_ "What are you talking about?" I stepped back._

_ Riku strode over to Sora's pod and laid his hand upon it. He looked inside, searching for his face. His eyes softened._

_ "Sora." Riku murmured. He turned back to me, the anger back faster than I could blink. "You did this."_

_ My mouth popped open, and my eyes widened._

_ "I – what?"_

_ "You did this! You did this to Sora!" He roared. "You were the one who erased his memories! You lied to me!"_

_ "What? No! No I didn't! I –" I wracked my brain, trying to remember our conversation back in castle oblivion. Fear gripped at my heart, and my eyes widened._

_ Somehow Riku's face managed to become even more livid._

_ "Oh, well, sure I guess not 'technically.' But in case you forgot, you failed to mention when you were explaining how the Organization was manipulating and twisting Sora by erasing his memories, that YOU were the one who did it. That you were the freaking TOOL that let them pull the whole thing off!"_

_ My mouth closed with a snap. The truth of his words bit like a knife. I opened my mouth uselessly, trying to think of something to say. Riku began to pace back and forth, running his gloved hands through his hair._

_ "I just don't get it. How could you do it? How could you do that to Sora, he never did anything to you! And you sided with the nobodies, what the hell? How could you go against your own kind?"_

_ That caught my attention. I looked up at him questioningly before it dawned on me. He thought I was human. He didn't know that I was… well… not human._

_ "Riku," I began timidly, "I'm not –"_

_ "Don't," he growled, "bother. I don't want to hear it. Now _get out_."_

_ I was about to turn and run – no – sprint, from the room, when something stopped me. To my shock, suddenly I was no longer scared. I was angry. The force of the emotion rooted me to the ground. It was like nothing I even knew that I was capable of experiencing. It grew hotter and fiercer, until I found myself quivering with fury. Before I could stop myself, I turned._

_ It had dawned on me when I was leaving that I was not the only one who had made mistakes. Riku had made plenty too._

_ "And what about you?" I hissed, my voice acidic. _

_ "What?" He turned back, shocked that I was still there._

_ "What about you!"_

_ "What about me?_

_ "You gave into the darkness." I whispered. The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them. Riku's mouth dropped. For half a second, the anger vanished. Instead, his eyes were hollow, vacant. The color drained from his face, as if the memories of the past months were too painful for him to consciously remember. The anger returned, though, before I could get a good look, and his eyes were on fire. _

_ "Yeah. Thanks for the news flash. So?" He spat, barely managing to cover the pain in his voice._

_ I should have stopped then. I wanted to stop then. But I couldn't._

_ I shook my head. "You gave in. You destroyed your home, your island, your friends, your family, your world, everything! You sided with Maleficent. You thrust countless worlds into darkness. You nearly killed Kairi, and tried to destroy Sora! You brought Ansem back. And the only reason you are still here is because Sora is such a good person, and he followed you into the dark! And when he couldn't find you, because you seem so keen on hide-and-go seek, he looked for you, and THAT is how he ended up at Castle Oblivion!"_

_ I watched my words chip away at him, gnawing at his confident fury. It looked like he was being burned from the inside. But my anger raged on, running poison through my veins._

_ "And what does that have to do with anything?" He said, his voice far stronger than he looked._

_ "Everything!" I screamed. "You are as much to blame as I am for this!" I gestured to Sora, sleeping peacefully, hearing nothing. "You can't just act like you haven't had any part of this when you were the start of it all! Who knows, you could be worse than me. My actions affected Sora. You destroyed worlds, Riku. They should give you an award. You're only, what, fifteen? Wow. Who'd could've known that one fifteen year old boy could be so devastating to the universe!"_

_ His face was blank, his eyes empty._

_ "No." He growled, his eyes piercing through me._

_ "If you hadn't given in –"_

_ "Stop it!"_

_ "If you hadn't abused the darkness –"_

_ "No!"_

_ "Then Sora never would have had to go looking for you, and he never would have even known what castle Oblivion was! This is your fault too, and if you think –"_

_ "SHUT UP!" He screeched, and suddenly, his Soul Eater appeared in his hand. His face was twisted into a horrible grimace, and his eyes were half mad. His gaze darted up to mine, and the look he gave me eradicated my anger in less than half a second._

_ "Get. Out." He whispered._

_ My eyes widened as I came back to my senses, realizing what I had just said. I couldn't move._

_ "Get OUT!" _

_ My legs regained feeling instantaneously. I turned and fled from the room, refusing to allow myself to look back. I stopped when I was just outside the doorway, and crumpled against the wall, tears streaming down my face. I wiped at them angrily, embarrassment welling in my chest._

_ I hadn't meant what I had said – not a word. I was the reason Sora was here. Plain and simple. It was just… I was so mad. I had never felt anything like that. Like bile, burning it's way through me, causing my to vomit useless and painful words. But I had no right to be angry in the first place. He was just so god damn infuriating!_

_ I turned back slightly, inkling my head to look at him. Guilt curled in my chest and went to bind with the pain that grew from the truth of what Riku had said. I wiped my eyes again and forced myself to look at him. His palm was pressed against the glass pod, and he inclined his head until it too was resting against it. He dragged his hand across his face half a second after I did. I realized with a jolt of surprise that he was doing exactly what I was. Wiping away tears, tears of hurt, shame, and guilt, before they could betray him. Just like me._

We stepped through the portal simultaneously and were greeted by a blast of salty ocean air. The night was dark; only the moon shone down to light the small village the portal had led us to. All the houses were dark – it must have been later at night in this world. A ways off, I could hear the ocean crashing against the shore. A breeze shifted through my hair; yet rather than being the tepid cool of an ocean breeze, it was frozen. I shivered, and a chill ran up my spine.

I felt Riku stiffen beside me, and my eyes widened as I watched him shift ever so slightly into a defensive crouch. I knew his face well enough to see the lines of worry he was trying to hide. My eyes grew bigger as I realized that his clothes were different. Really, it shouldn't have mattered. I should have been frightened. But when I looked over at him, and my eyes finally adjusted to the dark, all I could feel was a suffocating sense of awe. My would-be-heart caught in my chest.

He was dressed completely in black, from his blindfold to his boots. His shirt was loose, and fit the style of the time period we were in, as did his tight pants and knee high boots. The contrast of the dark color with his pale skin and the shine of the moon in his silver hair was stunning. He was beautiful.

I noticed for the first time that my clothing had changed as well. The dress was a mixture of white and cream, with a faint floral pattern on the gown, and went down to my feet. The neckline dipped low and the sleeves reached past the elbows. My hair was different as well; it had been pulled back by a cream ribbon into a half ponytail. The dress was beautiful, but probably not the best thing to wear for what Riku and I were planning. I wondered dully if there was anywhere for a girl to get pants in this century.

Riku lowered himself further, and with a flash the way to dawn was in his hand, bringing me abruptly from my thoughts. He pushed himself in front of me, crouching protectively. I felt my stomach sink. I was going to be more trouble than I thought.

I had forgotten, with all of my brilliant planning, that there could be more villains on this journey than simply Riku's darkness. Heartless were not gone from the worlds yet. Which would mean that Riku would have to fight. And since I had never so much as touched a keyblade or a sword, much less used one, it would also mean that he would have to protect me. Guilt tightened in my chest as I realized the extra danger I was putting him in.

But… maybe I could learn. I could learn how to fight, and not be so much of a burden. I'd have to ask Riku later… if we had a later.

I could see them now, barely, crawling in the black. My eyes flickered over to Riku as adrenaline began to race through my blood. He was perfectly still, ready to strike at any moment. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, and even though I couldn't see them, I knew his eyes would be restless, shifting from side to side, seeing through the night with an unparalleled ease.

I wondered sadly if he hated himself for it – for that stray power that still clung to him from his days in the darkness.

Although, quite honestly, at that moment I couldn't feel too sorry for him. I was too busy being grateful that he could see the heartless that were thronging toward us. Whatever he may think, his darkness was really very handy at times.

I squinted into the shadows, trying to see. A pair of enormous yellow eyes opened suddenly, and stared back at me in the gloom. I gasped and took a step back. Riku didn't flinch, even as more and more yellow orbs appeared around us.

I turned this way and that, trying to figure out how many there were. Fear swept through my veins as I watched more sets of eyes than I could count open. We were completely surrounded.

Without warning, three sprang at us simultaneously. I flinched, gasping in terror, but Riku was ready. So fast I hardly saw him move, he drew his keyblade across the neo shadows, making them vanish in a stream of black smoke.

But as quickly as they were gone, three more took their place.

"Look out!" I shrieked as more of them leapt up from behind. Riku turned and slashed through them, then flipped back again to hit to more that were flying inches from my face. One dashed up, quicker than the rest, and before Riku could block it, I felt it's clawed fingers rake across my cheek. I cried out and slapped my hand to my cheek, and when I drew it away again it was covered in blood.

Riku growled and drove his sword through the one that hit me then turned back to face the others that were ebbing toward us.

But no matter how many he hit, they continued to come at us. They were endless waves of black coming from every direction. For every one that Riku killed, two more sprang up to take its place. We were screwed. I glanced over at Riku and saw that he was realizing it too.

He turned to me, sweat trickling down the side of his face.

"Take my hand," he said as he held it out for me. I obeyed, and before I could blink I found myself in his arms. He ran the small way that he could before the wall of heartless began, then jumped and managed to land on a high pile of boxes. He jumped again and again, higher than I thought possible, especially with him carrying me. But my weight didn't seem to bother him; it was like he was holding nothing. Finally he reached a long stretch of roof, and set me down. He kept my hand firmly in his.

"Run." He ordered, and he set off at a sprint, dragging me behind him. I was never exactly a fast runner, and what with the enormous dress I was wearing, and the fact that he was abnormally strong and fast any way, I could tell I as slowing us down. But he dragged me on, going so quickly my feet could hardly place themselves. I nearly tumbled off the roof several times.

My eyes widened as I noticed that we were nearing the end of our stretch of rooftop.

"Uh, Riku," I started, but before I could say another word, he swept me into his arms once more, hardly breaking his stride, and leapt across the gap.

He put me down and raced forward, hardly breaking his stride. I chanced a glance behind us, to see if they were still following. I didn't see how they could be. Even with me slowing us down, we were moving pretty quickly. But to my horror, when I turned around the heartless were still on our tails, no more than fifteen feet behind us. Their golden eyes glared at us with malice, and their claws twitched in anticipation.

The roof turned abruptly, and we turned and shot off in the other direction. Riku lifted me up and leapt over another empty space - but failed to notice the heartless that had jumped up beneath him. It grabbed onto his leg, pelting us both at the ground. Riku wrapped his arms around me protectively, and cushioned my fall… with himself.

I rolled off of him and he sprang up, but the heartless were too quick, and before he could draw his sword a shadow scraped him across the face. He tried to fight them off, swiping and parrying and guarding and doing everything he could, but there were even more than before. Then a neo-shadow leapt out of the crowd and punched him in the gut, hard, managing to take a small piece of his shirt and skin. He cried out and clutched his side, and I gasped as the blood began to pool.

"Riku!"

He dropped to his knees, struggling against his heavy lids, trying to remain conscious to protect me. He wavered slightly, before collapsing into the dirt.

Shit.

We were surrounded, and Riku was unconscious, and I didn't know how to fight and we were going to die. I wracked my brain furiously as the heartless came in closer, taking their time, knowing that we had no escape. Of course it had to be night in this world – heartless were always stronger at night. God if only it was day, or if we could find some light.

Then it hit me. Light! We didn't have to find it – we could create it. A while back (it felt like eons back) when I was in the in-between, away from Riku, but still not part of Kairi, and looking for Sora and the King, I decided to venture to Mickey's castle, to see if Minnie knew anything. When I was there, heartless were beginning to overtake the castle. But Minnie was fearless, and a surprisingly powerful fighter. She showed me the best trick she knew; faith. I had completely forgotten about it (it wasn't exactly like I had many opportunities to use it over the past few months), but now… maybe I could save us.

I searched deep inside myself, as Minnie had taught me, to find the place within me of peaceful solitude – of light. I took a deep breath, trying to relax, trying not to think about the countless heartless that were about to maul Riku and me. I breathed in and out, steadying my shaking hands. I pulled the light from within me, and felt it gain strength.

My hand shot up above my head, and my fingertips began to glow.

"LIGHT!"

Everything was still for half a second, then light exploded from hands, reaching deep into the night sky and pushing out in a perfect circle, vanquishing every heartless it touched. Wave after wave of light pulsed from me, seeming to make the very earth shake as every last heartless perished in the brightness. I smiled to myself. Maybe I wouldn't be such a burden after all. God, it was intoxicating. I felt alive, for what seemed like the first time in forever.

But it didn't last long. Without warning I felt my knees buckle as my energy streamed through my fingertips.

I cut off the stream of power, moaning from effort, and fell to my knees. The rest of the energy left me with a sickening whoosh, making me nauseous. I had forgotten how taxing it could be, how Minnie warned me not to overdo it. Of course, what with me being the best and the brightest, I decided to overstep my boundaries on the first try. My vision flickered in and out, and my arms began to shake under my weight. I felt lightheaded and dizzy, as if I couldn't get enough oxygen even if I tried. I looked around one more time, making sure that all the heartless were gone, before I allowed myself to collapse into a shuddering heap. I twisted my head over to Riku.

"Please let him be alright." I silently prayed.

Through my hazy vision I saw Riku begin to stir. Or… no… maybe not… I thought he was. I blinked hastily, trying to see, to find out if he really was alright. But I couldn't hold on any longer, and finally, I allowed my eyelids to droop, and I sunk into unconsciousness.

I woke up to the worst headache of my life. My brain was positively pounding, trying to burst from my skull. I reached up to grab my head, and found my arms ten times heavier than usual. I opened my eyes a crack, but then shut them immediately. Whatever was on the outside of my eyelids was far too bright.

"Ow." I moaned. I tried to sit up, but it was like trying to lift a ton of bricks. I settled for another groan as pain thudded through my body.

I heard some shuffling beside me.

"Namine?"

"Ungh." I heard a sigh of relief, and felt Riku's hand dangling an inch from my face. He finally seemed to make up his mind, and pushed the hair from my face gently.

I decided to try opening my eyes again. I went slowly this time, and finally managed to pry them all the way open. I noticed what had blinded me the first time instantaneously. It was a fire, dancing a few feet away from my face. I managed to turn my head and finally found Riku's face.

"Riku." I breathed, relief flooding through me when I saw that he was o.k.

He relaxed immediately, the lines of panic vanishing from his face. He pushed the hair from my eyes again.

"Thank god. I was freaking out." I could tell. His voice was strained, and although the worry had left his face, it clung around what I could see of his eyes.

I struggled, trying to get up, and Riku pushed his arms beneath me to help me. He held me steady as I slowly, but surely, got myself into a seated position. He handed me a loaf of bread and a glass of water, which I wolfed down. I hadn't realized how _hungry_ I was. As I chewed, I looked around. We were on a cliff edge, hidden in tall grass. I could see the town we had come in through, down the steep rock face and a few miles away. I realized with a jolt that Riku had probably had to carry me up here. That's embarrassing.

"What happened?" I said, wincing as my head pounded.

"You," he said, "were amazing."

I looked over at him, too see if he was joking, but his eyes were serious. I looked down and took another sip of water, trying to hide my blush. I swallowed and felt relief flood through my system. Amazing what food can do.

"Or stupid." I mumbled.

"Well, yes, that too." He laughed. I glared at him. "But seriously, where did you learn how to do that?"

"Minnie taught me." His eyes widened.

"Like, the queen Minnie?"

"Yep."

"Huh." He looked away, and I could see the questions burning in his eyes, but he seemed to decide better of it. "Do you feel any better?" He said after a minute.

"Much." I nodded. I held up what was left of my bread piece. "Food helps."

"God, Namine, why did you do that?"

"Well, someone was sort of M.I.A., so I figured –"

"No, I know WHY you did it. But why did you hold on for so long?"

I looked down, feeling the red creep up my cheeks again. "Well… I haven't done that in, like, a year. So I kind of forgot."

Riku rolled his eyes behind the blindfold (I could just tell), but I could still see remnants of his previous fear in the lines of his face. "You need to be more careful."

"I know." I sighed, looking down. "I'm sorry." We were silent for a moment.

"And another thing," I looked over at him, wondering what else I could have done. "Thank you." His eyes melted, and my heart skipped a beat. "You saved my life. Both of our lives."

"Riku…" I said after a minute. "Why are there heartless here? There were so many…"

I watched his eyes harden immediately, and I knew he had been thinking about the same thing. He leaned back on his arm and turned slightly away. My eyes raked down his statuesque figure before I could stop them, and I marveled again at how utterly perfect he was. They found their way to the tear in his shirt. It took me a moment to remember.

"Riku!" I gasped.

He looked over at me, ice gone from his eyes, alarm taking its place. "What?"

"Your side – that shadow got it, and you were bleeding…" I crawled over to him hesitantly to inspect the cut. But to my shock, there was nothing there. Not even a scar. My hand reached up involuntarily, to see if the skin was really as healed as it looked. "How…" I began.

"Being from darkness has its advantages." He muttered bitterly, looking away from me, out to the ocean. I felt my stomach sink. His thoughts were displayed plainly on his face. I suddenly remembered my own cheek, and reached up to see if the bleeding had stopped. But the cut was gone. Riku must have healed it, too.

I took a deep breathe, drawing my focus back to our conversation.

"Riku, you know the heartless weren't here because of you."

He remained silent, his lips pressed firmly together.

"They weren't! There were so many, how could they possibly all have flocked here so quickly?"

"Darkness is easy to find." I felt something inside me twist painfully.

"But you weren't attacked at all on destiny islands. There's no way they could have planned an ambush here when you didn't even know which world you were going to." I pointed out. Riku pressed his lips more firmly together, still not convinced. I glared at him, frustrated with his stubbornness.

"What could they possibly want from you?" I threw at him. He frowned, and I knew I had said the wrong thing.

"Every time I fight, I use darkness. It's in my nature, it's not something I can help. Like how Sora uses light every time he fights. It's just how we are. But every time I use darkness… he comes a little closer. If I ever lost control when I was fighting, or let my emotions get the best of me, I… I don't know what would happen." My mouth closed with a snap, and I looked away from him.

"He can't be _that_ close, Riku." I muttered to the tall grass beneath me. I heard him move beside me, and I looked over at him in shock as he began to take off his blindfold.

I gasped. I couldn't help it. His eyes were nearly devoid of all blue, the sinister gold seeping into his pupils. My hand went to cover my mouth. I felt slightly faint, and a shiver that had nothing to do with the cool air trembled up my spine.

"But… I mean, just a few hours ago… how, so quickly?" Riku shrugged nonchalantly and turned away. Realization began to dawn on me. I felt anger coil in my chest.

"You're giving up. That's why your eyes changed so quickly. It's not that he's getting stronger – your resolve just got weaker." I said, my eyes wide. Riku was silent.

"It can't be helped, Namine." He finally said with a sad smile.

"Yes, it can!" I said firmly, sticking out my lip and reminding myself of a small, pouting child. Riku chuckled and turned away, replacing the blindfold.

"I'm not giving up." He said plainly. "I'm just not trying as hard as before. That doesn't mean –" he added hastily, seeing that I was about to protest again, "that I am simply going to let him take me. I'll hold on, for as long as I can Namine, I promise. I don't _want_ to be a monster," he frowned bitterly at the word, as if tasting something sour. He looked over at me again, and the same knowing, sad smile appeared on his lips. "I'm just saying that, in the end, no matter how I fight, it will be inevitable."

I was going to argue, but I knew it was pointless. I drew my knees to my chest and held them there, trying to calm the anger seething in my stomach. He was so stubborn. And dumb. And heart-breaking. My eyes drifted upward as I began to lose myself in my thoughts. When Riku spoke again, it startled me.

"But…" he sighed as if admitting some great defeat. "I suppose you're right. About the heartless. It doesn't make sense that there are so many here. I thought that I might be the only explanation. But they couldn't have known where I would take us. Plus, there were none on destiny island. Something must be wrong with this world. Either something very dark or very powerful, or both, is around here. We best keep our guard up."

I looked over at him as I remembered. Mustering my courage and praying that he wouldn't laugh at me, I opened my mouth.

"Couldyouteachmetofight?" I said in a rush.

"What?" Riku replied, seeming unwilling to believe his ears.

"Would you teach me," I murmured, refusing to meet his gaze, "to fight?" His jaw dropped in disbelief, and I could see laughter tugging at the edges of his lips. But he was very good, and held it in. I felt a blush burn my cheeks.

"Why?" He asked when he had regained his composure.

"Well… it's just that… I hate being so defenseless, and I want to help you whenever I can. I don't want you to get hurt running around protecting me all the time. I don't want to be any trouble, and I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

He mumbled something incoherent, rolling his eyes slightly, but I could have sworn I heard the words "ridiculous" and "it's no trouble" thrown in there.  
"Still," I said, replying to his muttered denials, "I want to know how. I don't want to have to use magic all the time, just in case… well, you no, in case something happens."

"Hey, you did not have to use your magic back there. I had everything going just fine. Everything was under control." I gaped at him, amazed at his tenacity and the how suddenly his mood had changed.

"Yeah, definitely," I finally growled sarcastically, "What happened to 'Thanks for saving my life.' I'm sure you were just lulling the heartless into a false sense of security with you unconscious body sprawled bleeding on the ground." Riku frowned and muttered something about "women" but finally turned to me and reluctantly nodded.

"Fine. I'll show you some basic moves. But I'll have to dual wield for you to have a weapon. And you're only to fight in extreme situations, when it's absolutely necessary.

Got it?" I smiled triumphantly and nodded.

"Fine." He muttered again, clearly not happy about my victory. He rolled over and grabbed a pile of bags that was lying near them and stuffed them under his head before turning his back to me. I huffed and crossed my arms, my grin vanishing at his moody behavior.

"What is your problem?" I snapped, unable to stop the words before they leapt from my mouth.

"_I_ am tired, so _I_ am going to bed." He seemed to remember something, and got up momentarily, grabbing a few more white bags and thrusting them at me. I took them realizing as I touched the soft material that they were blankets and pillow cases. I curled into them, remembering suddenly how chilly it was, and moved a bit closer to the fire. I sighed as I looked over at Riku, regretting how I had snapped at him.

"Riku," I mumbled a moment later. He grunted. "I'm sorry. And thank you." He turned to face me, and with relief, I saw his face had softened. He scotched over closer to me, until he were only around a foot apart. I was grateful that he did – not only was he warmer, but I just felt… safer, on this dark empty cliff top in the middle of the night, with him close to me.

"No, thank you. You really did save my life back there, Namine."

"Don't mention it. I'm sure you've saved my ass loads more times than I can count." He genuinely smiled at this, and I returned the grin.

"Good night, Namine." He smiled, before settling down to sleep.

"Good night, Riku."

The next morning we got moving early. We stopped in town quickly to get more food, and also some new clothes for me. I finally managed to convince Riku that the dress I was wearing was only going to be a pain, and that pants would be better. He argued and complained, but eventually conceded. My new outfit consisted of a loose white shirt, tight brown pants, black boots, and a black hat so I could hide my long hair when needed.

We waited by the docks for a good portion of the morning before Riku finally spotted a shipe he deemed suitable to stow away on. It was a simple merchant's vessel, not too big, but big enough that we could easily find a hiding spot. We each grabbed a few crates and carried them onto the ship with the rest of the crew, and then simply didn't get off. It was laughably easy. And then the ship was off, and so were we.

And yes, Davy Jones and the Kracken may be making a guest appearance in the next chapter of this fic. Heehee.


	3. Chapter 3

Alright, here's the deal. This is actually the second half of chapter two. However, when I simply put it as the second half of chapter two, it showed up only as an edit, and not an update. So I am now making this chapter three. Originally I planned to have each chapter contain at least one flashback and one current event, however, because of my freaky-deaky updating techniques... it wasn't working out. I'm still going to do that. But for chapter two an exception must be made, cuz I messed up. I was trying to get out whatever I had written as fast as I could, but you guys can't see it cuz u didn't know it was updated. So, now you do. This is actually also contained in chapter two, so if you look there, you'll see exactly the same thing. I'm just too lazy to change it. In short, this is the second half of chapter two. Not chapter three. Chapter three is on it's way. And from now on there will be both a memory and a piece of Riku and Namine's current adventure. Updating may take a bit longer, but, oh well. It'll just be easier that way.

I hope you like it! Enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW! This author runs on reviews. Lack of reviewage will result in a lack of updatage. and yes, those are words.

Oh yeah, and one more thing. I'M SAYING THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY READ CHAPTER TWO OF THIS FIC AND THERE WILL BE MORE THERE. I WOULD RATHER HAVE YOU READ THE ORIGINAL CHAPTER TWO. IN FACT, PLEASE READ THE ORIGINAL CHAPTER TWO. This chapter three, right here, is simply here to let you people know that I updated. Nothing more, nothing less. you can read either, cuz they're pretty much the same. but I talk more about the story before and afterward in chapter two. My comments are longer in chapter two. The story is the same. But I'd like you to read my comments. You don't have to, I just... I don't know, haha, like to be heard. completely your choice. If you want to hear more of my rambling, then go back to chapter two. If you just want the damn story, go ahead and read on. Anyways...

We stepped through the portal simultaneously and were greeted by a blast of salty ocean air. The night was dark; only the moon shone down to light the small village the portal had led us to. All the houses were dark – it must have been later at night in this world. A ways off, I could hear the ocean crashing against the shore. A breeze shifted through my hair; yet rather than being the tepid cool of an ocean breeze, it was frozen. I shivered, and a chill ran up my spine.

I felt Riku stiffen beside me, and my eyes widened as I watched him shift ever so slightly into a defensive crouch. I knew his face well enough to see the lines of worry he was trying to hide. My eyes grew bigger as I realized that his clothes were different. Really, it shouldn't have mattered. I should have been frightened. But when I looked over at him, and my eyes finally adjusted to the dark, all I could feel was a suffocating sense of awe. My would-be-heart caught in my chest.

He was dressed completely in black, from his blindfold to his boots. His shirt was loose, and fit the style of the time period we were in, as did his tight pants and knee high boots. The contrast of the dark color with his pale skin and the shine of the moon in his silver hair was stunning. He was beautiful.

I noticed for the first time that my clothing had changed as well. The dress was a mixture of white and cream, with a faint floral pattern on the gown, and went down to my feet. The neckline dipped low and the sleeves reached past the elbows. My hair was different as well; it had been pulled back by a cream ribbon into a half ponytail. The dress was beautiful, but probably not the best thing to wear for what Riku and I were planning. I wondered dully if there was anywhere for a girl to get pants in this century.

Riku lowered himself further, and with a flash the way to dawn was in his hand, bringing me abruptly from my thoughts. He pushed himself in front of me, crouching protectively. I felt my stomach sink. I was going to be more trouble than I thought.

I had forgotten, with all of my brilliant planning, that there could be more villains on this journey than simply Riku's darkness. Heartless were not gone from the worlds yet. Which would mean that Riku would have to fight. And since I had never so much as touched a keyblade or a sword, much less used one, it would also mean that he would have to protect me. Guilt tightened in my chest as I realized the extra danger I was putting him in.

But… maybe I could learn. I could learn how to fight, and not be so much of a burden. I'd have to ask Riku later… if we had a later.

I could see them now, barely, crawling in the black. My eyes flickered over to Riku as adrenaline began to race through my blood. He was perfectly still, ready to strike at any moment. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, and even though I couldn't see them, I knew his eyes would be restless, shifting from side to side, seeing through the night with an unparalleled ease.

I wondered sadly if he hated himself for it – for that stray power that still clung to him from his days in the darkness.

Although, quite honestly, at that moment I couldn't feel too sorry for him. I was too busy being grateful that he could see the heartless that were thronging toward us. Whatever he may think, his darkness was really very handy at times.

I squinted into the shadows, trying to see. A pair of enormous yellow eyes opened suddenly, and stared back at me in the gloom. I gasped and took a step back. Riku didn't flinch, even as more and more yellow orbs appeared around us.

I turned this way and that, trying to figure out how many there were. Fear swept through my veins as I watched more sets of eyes than I could count open. We were completely surrounded.

Without warning, three sprang at us simultaneously. I flinched, gasping in terror, but Riku was ready. So fast I hardly saw him move, he drew his keyblade across the neo shadows, making them vanish in a stream of black smoke.

But as quickly as they were gone, three more took their place.

"Look out!" I shrieked as more of them leapt up from behind. Riku turned and slashed through them, then flipped back again to hit to more that were flying inches from my face. One dashed up, quicker than the rest, and before Riku could block it, I felt it's clawed fingers rake across my cheek. I cried out and slapped my hand to my cheek, and when I drew it away again it was covered in blood.

Riku growled and drove his sword through the one that hit me then turned back to face the others that were ebbing toward us.

But no matter how many he hit, they continued to come at us. They were endless waves of black coming from every direction. For every one that Riku killed, two more sprang up to take its place. We were screwed. I glanced over at Riku and saw that he was realizing it too.

He turned to me, sweat trickling down the side of his face.

"Take my hand," he said as he held it out for me. I obeyed, and before I could blink I found myself in his arms. He ran the small way that he could before the wall of heartless began, then jumped and managed to land on a high pile of boxes. He jumped again and again, higher than I thought possible, especially with him carrying me. But my weight didn't seem to bother him; it was like he was holding nothing. Finally he reached a long stretch of roof, and set me down. He kept my hand firmly in his.

"Run." He ordered, and he set off at a sprint, dragging me behind him. I was never exactly a fast runner, and what with the enormous dress I was wearing, and the fact that he was abnormally strong and fast any way, I could tell I as slowing us down. But he dragged me on, going so quickly my feet could hardly place themselves. I nearly tumbled off the roof several times.

My eyes widened as I noticed that we were nearing the end of our stretch of rooftop.

"Uh, Riku," I started, but before I could say another word, he swept me into his arms once more, hardly breaking his stride, and leapt across the gap.

He put me down and raced forward, hardly breaking his stride. I chanced a glance behind us, to see if they were still following. I didn't see how they could be. Even with me slowing us down, we were moving pretty quickly. But to my horror, when I turned around the heartless were still on our tails, no more than fifteen feet behind us. Their golden eyes glared at us with malice, and their claws twitched in anticipation.

The roof turned abruptly, and we turned and shot off in the other direction. Riku lifted me up and leapt over another empty space - but failed to notice the heartless that had jumped up beneath him. It grabbed onto his leg, pelting us both at the ground. Riku wrapped his arms around me protectively, and cushioned my fall… with himself.

I rolled off of him and he sprang up, but the heartless were too quick, and before he could draw his sword a shadow scraped him across the face. He tried to fight them off, swiping and parrying and guarding and doing everything he could, but there were even more than before. Then a neo-shadow leapt out of the crowd and punched him in the gut, hard, managing to take a small piece of his shirt and skin. He cried out and clutched his side, and I gasped as the blood began to pool.

"Riku!"

He dropped to his knees, struggling against his heavy lids, trying to remain conscious to protect me. He wavered slightly, before collapsing into the dirt.

Shit.

We were surrounded, and Riku was unconscious, and I didn't know how to fight and we were going to die. I wracked my brain furiously as the heartless came in closer, taking their time, knowing that we had no escape. Of course it had to be night in this world – heartless were always stronger at night. God if only it was day, or if we could find some light.

Then it hit me. Light! We didn't have to find it – we could create it. A while back (it felt like eons back) when I was in the in-between, away from Riku, but still not part of Kairi, and looking for Sora and the King, I decided to venture to Mickey's castle, to see if Minnie knew anything. When I was there, heartless were beginning to overtake the castle. But Minnie was fearless, and a surprisingly powerful fighter. She showed me the best trick she knew; faith. I had completely forgotten about it (it wasn't exactly like I had many opportunities to use it over the past few months), but now… maybe I could save us.

I searched deep inside myself, as Minnie had taught me, to find the place within me of peaceful solitude – of light. I took a deep breath, trying to relax, trying not to think about the countless heartless that were about to maul Riku and me. I breathed in and out, steadying my shaking hands. I pulled the light from within me, and felt it gain strength.

My hand shot up above my head, and my fingertips began to glow.

"LIGHT!"

Everything was still for half a second, then light exploded from hands, reaching deep into the night sky and pushing out in a perfect circle, vanquishing every heartless it touched. Wave after wave of light pulsed from me, seeming to make the very earth shake as every last heartless perished in the brightness. I smiled to myself. Maybe I wouldn't be such a burden after all. God, it was intoxicating. I felt alive, for what seemed like the first time in forever.

But it didn't last long. Without warning I felt my knees buckle as my energy streamed through my fingertips.

I cut off the stream of power, moaning from effort, and fell to my knees. The rest of the energy left me with a sickening whoosh, making me nauseous. I had forgotten how taxing it could be, how Minnie warned me not to overdo it. Of course, what with me being the best and the brightest, I decided to overstep my boundaries on the first try. My vision flickered in and out, and my arms began to shake under my weight. I felt lightheaded and dizzy, as if I couldn't get enough oxygen even if I tried. I looked around one more time, making sure that all the heartless were gone, before I allowed myself to collapse into a shuddering heap. I twisted my head over to Riku.

"Please let him be alright." I silently prayed.

Through my hazy vision I saw Riku begin to stir. Or… no… maybe not… I thought he was. I blinked hastily, trying to see, to find out if he really was alright. But I couldn't hold on any longer, and finally, I allowed my eyelids to droop, and I sunk into unconsciousness.

I woke up to the worst headache of my life. My brain was positively pounding, trying to burst from my skull. I reached up to grab my head, and found my arms ten times heavier than usual. I opened my eyes a crack, but then shut them immediately. Whatever was on the outside of my eyelids was far too bright.

"Ow." I moaned. I tried to sit up, but it was like trying to lift a ton of bricks. I settled for another groan as pain thudded through my body.

I heard some shuffling beside me.

"Namine?"

"Ungh." I heard a sigh of relief, and felt Riku's hand dangling an inch from my face. He finally seemed to make up his mind, and pushed the hair from my face gently.

I decided to try opening my eyes again. I went slowly this time, and finally managed to pry them all the way open. I noticed what had blinded me the first time instantaneously. It was a fire, dancing a few feet away from my face. I managed to turn my head and finally found Riku's face.

"Riku." I breathed, relief flooding through me when I saw that he was o.k.

He relaxed immediately, the lines of panic vanishing from his face. He pushed the hair from my eyes again.

"Thank god. I was freaking out." I could tell. His voice was strained, and although the worry had left his face, it clung around what I could see of his eyes.

I struggled, trying to get up, and Riku pushed his arms beneath me to help me. He held me steady as I slowly, but surely, got myself into a seated position. He handed me a loaf of bread and a glass of water, which I wolfed down. I hadn't realized how _hungry_ I was. As I chewed, I looked around. We were on a cliff edge, hidden in tall grass. I could see the town we had come in through, down the steep rock face and a few miles away. I realized with a jolt that Riku had probably had to carry me up here. That's embarrassing.

"What happened?" I said, wincing as my head pounded.

"You," he said, "were amazing."

I looked over at him, too see if he was joking, but his eyes were serious. I looked down and took another sip of water, trying to hide my blush. I swallowed and felt relief flood through my system. Amazing what food can do.

"Or stupid." I mumbled.

"Well, yes, that too." He laughed. I glared at him. "But seriously, where did you learn how to do that?"

"Minnie taught me." His eyes widened.

"Like, the queen Minnie?"

"Yep."

"Huh." He looked away, and I could see the questions burning in his eyes, but he seemed to decide better of it. "Do you feel any better?" He said after a minute.

"Much." I nodded. I held up what was left of my bread piece. "Food helps."

"God, Namine, why did you do that?"

"Well, someone was sort of M.I.A., so I figured –"

"No, I know WHY you did it. But why did you hold on for so long?"

I looked down, feeling the red creep up my cheeks again. "Well… I haven't done that in, like, a year. So I kind of forgot."

Riku rolled his eyes behind the blindfold (I could just tell), but I could still see remnants of his previous fear in the lines of his face. "You need to be more careful."

"I know." I sighed, looking down. "I'm sorry." We were silent for a moment.

"And another thing," I looked over at him, wondering what else I could have done. "Thank you." His eyes melted, and my heart skipped a beat. "You saved my life. Both of our lives."

"Riku…" I said after a minute. "Why are there heartless here? There were so many…"

I watched his eyes harden immediately, and I knew he had been thinking about the same thing. He leaned back on his arm and turned slightly away. My eyes raked down his statuesque figure before I could stop them, and I marveled again at how utterly perfect he was. They found their way to the tear in his shirt. It took me a moment to remember.

"Riku!" I gasped.

He looked over at me, ice gone from his eyes, alarm taking its place. "What?"

"Your side – that shadow got it, and you were bleeding…" I crawled over to him hesitantly to inspect the cut. But to my shock, there was nothing there. Not even a scar. My hand reached up involuntarily, to see if the skin was really as healed as it looked. "How…" I began.

"Being from darkness has its advantages." He muttered bitterly, looking away from me, out to the ocean. I felt my stomach sink. His thoughts were displayed plainly on his face. I suddenly remembered my own cheek, and reached up to see if the bleeding had stopped. But the cut was gone. Riku must have healed it, too.

I took a deep breathe, drawing my focus back to our conversation.

"Riku, you know the heartless weren't here because of you."

He remained silent, his lips pressed firmly together.

"They weren't! There were so many, how could they possibly all have flocked here so quickly?"

"Darkness is easy to find." I felt something inside me twist painfully.

"But you weren't attacked at all on destiny islands. There's no way they could have planned an ambush here when you didn't even know which world you were going to." I pointed out. Riku pressed his lips more firmly together, still not convinced. I glared at him, frustrated with his stubbornness.

"What could they possibly want from you?" I threw at him. He frowned, and I knew I had said the wrong thing.

"Every time I fight, I use darkness. It's in my nature, it's not something I can help. Like how Sora uses light every time he fights. It's just how we are. But every time I use darkness… he comes a little closer. If I ever lost control when I was fighting, or let my emotions get the best of me, I… I don't know what would happen." My mouth closed with a snap, and I looked away from him.

"He can't be _that_ close, Riku." I muttered to the tall grass beneath me. I heard him move beside me, and I looked over at him in shock as he began to take off his blindfold.

I gasped. I couldn't help it. His eyes were nearly devoid of all blue, the sinister gold seeping into his pupils. My hand went to cover my mouth. I felt slightly faint, and a shiver that had nothing to do with the cool air trembled up my spine.

"But… I mean, just a few hours ago… how, so quickly?" Riku shrugged nonchalantly and turned away. Realization began to dawn on me. I felt anger coil in my chest.

"You're giving up. That's why your eyes changed so quickly. It's not that he's getting stronger – your resolve just got weaker." I said, my eyes wide. Riku was silent.

"It can't be helped, Namine." He finally said with a sad smile.

"Yes, it can!" I said firmly, sticking out my lip and reminding myself of a small, pouting child. Riku chuckled and turned away, replacing the blindfold.

"I'm not giving up." He said plainly. "I'm just not trying as hard as before. That doesn't mean –" he added hastily, seeing that I was about to protest again, "that I am simply going to let him take me. I'll hold on, for as long as I can Namine, I promise. I don't _want_ to be a monster," he frowned bitterly at the word, as if tasting something sour. He looked over at me again, and the same knowing, sad smile appeared on his lips. "I'm just saying that, in the end, no matter how I fight, it will be inevitable."

I was going to argue, but I knew it was pointless. I drew my knees to my chest and held them there, trying to calm the anger seething in my stomach. He was so stubborn. And dumb. And heart-breaking. My eyes drifted upward as I began to lose myself in my thoughts. When Riku spoke again, it startled me.

"But…" he sighed as if admitting some great defeat. "I suppose you're right. About the heartless. It doesn't make sense that there are so many here. I thought that I might be the only explanation. But they couldn't have known where I would take us. Plus, there were none on destiny island. Something must be wrong with this world. Either something very dark or very powerful, or both, is around here. We best keep our guard up."

I looked over at him as I remembered. Mustering my courage and praying that he wouldn't laugh at me, I opened my mouth.

"Couldyouteachmetofight?" I said in a rush.

"What?" Riku replied, seeming unwilling to believe his ears.

"Would you teach me," I murmured, refusing to meet his gaze, "to fight?" His jaw dropped in disbelief, and I could see laughter tugging at the edges of his lips. But he was very good, and held it in. I felt a blush burn my cheeks.

"Why?" He asked when he had regained his composure.

"Well… it's just that… I hate being so defenseless, and I want to help you whenever I can. I don't want you to get hurt running around protecting me all the time. I don't want to be any trouble, and I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

He mumbled something incoherent, rolling his eyes slightly, but I could have sworn I heard the words "ridiculous" and "it's no trouble" thrown in there.  
"Still," I said, replying to his muttered denials, "I want to know how. I don't want to have to use magic all the time, just in case… well, you no, in case something happens."

"Hey, you did not have to use your magic back there. I had everything going just fine. Everything was under control." I gaped at him, amazed at his tenacity and the how suddenly his mood had changed.

"Yeah, definitely," I finally growled sarcastically, "What happened to 'Thanks for saving my life.' I'm sure you were just lulling the heartless into a false sense of security with you unconscious body sprawled bleeding on the ground." Riku frowned and muttered something about "women" but finally turned to me and reluctantly nodded.

"Fine. I'll show you some basic moves. But I'll have to dual wield for you to have a weapon. And you're only to fight in extreme situations, when it's absolutely necessary.

Got it?" I smiled triumphantly and nodded.

"Fine." He muttered again, clearly not happy about my victory. He rolled over and grabbed a pile of bags that was lying near them and stuffed them under his head before turning his back to me. I huffed and crossed my arms, my grin vanishing at his moody behavior.

"What is your problem?" I snapped, unable to stop the words before they leapt from my mouth.

"_I_ am tired, so _I_ am going to bed." He seemed to remember something, and got up momentarily, grabbing a few more white bags and thrusting them at me. I took them realizing as I touched the soft material that they were blankets and pillow cases. I curled into them, remembering suddenly how chilly it was, and moved a bit closer to the fire. I sighed as I looked over at Riku, regretting how I had snapped at him.

"Riku," I mumbled a moment later. He grunted. "I'm sorry. And thank you." He turned to face me, and with relief, I saw his face had softened. He scotched over closer to me, until he were only around a foot apart. I was grateful that he did – not only was he warmer, but I just felt… safer, on this dark empty cliff top in the middle of the night, with him close to me.

"No, thank you. You really did save my life back there, Namine."

"Don't mention it. I'm sure you've saved my ass loads more times than I can count." He genuinely smiled at this, and I returned the grin.

"Good night, Namine." He smiled, before settling down to sleep.

"Good night, Riku."

The next morning we got moving early. We stopped in town quickly to get more food, and also some new clothes for me. I finally managed to convince Riku that the dress I was wearing was only going to be a pain, and that pants would be better. He argued and complained, but eventually conceded. My new outfit consisted of a loose white shirt, tight brown pants, black boots, and a black hat so I could hide my long hair when needed.

We waited by the docks for a good portion of the morning before Riku finally spotted a shipe he deemed suitable to stow away on. It was a simple merchant's vessel, not too big, but big enough that we could easily find a hiding spot. We each grabbed a few crates and carried them onto the ship with the rest of the crew, and then simply didn't get off. It was laughably easy. And then the ship was off, and so were we.

It's about to get good soon, at least with the flashbacks (at least in my humble opinion. lolz). And yes, davy jones and the kracken may be making a guest appearance fairly soon. Until next time! =)


	4. Chapter 4

Once again, it should be a crime how long it's taken me to update this. The worst part is that it's been sitting in my computer, finished, for FOREVER.*Looks over at readers angry at her for holding out on them and gulps* But-but it's not like it was just waiting to be posted. The reason it took so long was because I wanted to revise it. It was crap at first. I still think it kind of is, but I'll leave that decision up to you guys. But, good news good news, this is the longest chapter yet =D And a lot of shit goes down. Yay for angst. But, really, I write SO MUCH ANGST. I'm beginning to won der if it's a problem. But I mean it makes the story exciting =D... or at least, I think so. Lol. Anyways, on with the show =D

Oh, just for a btw; there is not enough Namiku art in the world. Anyone who reads this who can draw decently (aka NOT ME) should make some. And feel free t model after this story, if you want =D lolz. But really, it's kind of my short-term dream to have some awesome Namiku fan art that was inspiried by this story. Just saying.

Okay, now, officialy, ON WITH THE SHOW!

* * *

- Namine -

_ The next two months following me and Riku's argument passed by without so much as a word between us. We avoided each other completely – the only times we saw one another were during meals, and even then we never so much as glanced at each other._

_ It was torture. I didn't think it was possible that I could be even lonelier than I was before Riku. But to have him there, so close, and to not be able to reach him, to talk to him, to even look at him, made my isolation that much more profound. It reminded me that I could be surrounded by crowds of people, and still be utterly alone. It didn't matter that I had an opportunity to make a real friend that wasn't based off of lies and deceit – no matter what, I was destined to be alone._

_And not only was I lonely, but I was insanely bored. If my solitude didn't drive me crazy, then the monotony of my life surely would. I never went outside – I wasn't allowed. I never spoke to anyone, except occasionally the King during his few infrequent visits. I never did anything, except draw and piece together Sora's memories. I was quite convinced that I would be doomed to this mind-numbing existence until I finished with Sora, and that thought made me want to jump out a window._

_ However, it turned out I didn't have to wait too long before everything changed. _

_ It was a Tuesday morning in November when the pattern of my life was utterly wrenched apart._

_ I walked down the bleak hallway to where Sora's pod was located, lost in thought as to which chain of memories I would try to reconnect today. I was stuck between Sora's sixth birthday, when he got his first bicycle, or the day that he and Riku went to their secret cave for the first time. I was about to round the corner and enter the room when, to my shock, I heard someone talking inside. _

_ I couldn't stop the leaping feeling in my chest when I heard the voice – even though I knew before I even began to hope that it wasn't Sora, that it couldn't be Sora, talking in the room. It wasn't possible. But still, nonetheless, I felt my blood begin to pound, and my stomach back-flipped. I held my breath as I looked around the corner, hoping for the impossible, bracing myself for the disappointment I knew I would feel when I didn't see him standing there. _

_ I gasped when I finally looked, and quickly hid back behind the corner. It wasn't Sora. It was Riku. Riku was talking to Sora, like I had always used to. And as utterly stupid of an action it was, I couldn't help but stay to listen, just for a minute._

_ "- sometimes it doesn't even feel like it's worth it. I feel like the world would just be better off without me in it, you know. I mean, really, I think you're the only one keeping me here, Sora. If it weren't for you, for the fact that you have to wake up… I don't where I'd be. But I know what you'd say. You'd want me to keep going, with or without you. You'd be the optimist." He laughed, and I could hear the sadness in it. There was an odd burning sensation in my chest. It hurt me to hear him say this, I realized with shock. I didn't have time to get my thoughts together, though, and think of some sort of excuse for why it physically hurt me to hear him in pain, because he kept talking. "But Sora… you just don't know. It's so lonely. I'm so lonely. I feel like… like I don't have anyone. And I don't. Diz is just using me; I know that. Kairi can probably hardly remember me. And the king… he's just here out of pity. Not like he's ever here in the first place. He's here for you, not for me. It's just me and my darkness. And it scares me. Sometimes I… I think I might go back. I remember what it was like… the power, and I can't… I just don't know… You have no idea what it's like Sora. That temptation. That… incredible power, just barely out of reach. Huh. I just don't know."_

_ He continued to talk, but I stopped listening. It hurt too much. And I shouldn't be listening to this anyway. This, Riku's desperation, was not supposed to be heard by anyone. He was just telling Sora because he knew he couldn't hear him. I turned to leave, try to numb the aching pain in my chest, when I accidently tripped over my own feet and stumbled into the metallic wall. I felt my stomach drop to my toes as the sound reverberated off the walls, seeming to rock the floor, and bounced into Sora's room. My heart froze in my chest as I steadied myself. I knew he had heard that. There was no way he hadn't. The house might as well have come down on top of him. I wanted to run away, but I couldn't. I was absolutely terrified. He had told me never to come down here, never to disturb him, and here I was, eavesdropping on his most private thoughts. I wondered what he would do to me. If he forgot that I was the only one that could put together Sora's memories, there was a very good chance that he would kill me. He already hated me for what I had done to Sora, and he hadn't exactly seemed… emotionally stable lately. Shit. _

_ I heard him stop talking, and I held my breath, cowering against the wall, trembling slightly._

_ I never heard him rise to his feet, never heard his footsteps echo off the metal walls, but then suddenly, there he was in the door way, looking around for the source of the noise. And then he saw me. His expression twisted horribly into the most frightening scowl I had ever seen. Worse than Marluxia, worse even than Larxene. He was beyond livid._

_ He stood in the doorway for a minute, breathing heavily, debating, I thought to myself, what to do with me._

_ I said nothing, utterly unable to make my quaking lips form a coherent sentence._

_ "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" He hissed, his eyes bright and dangerous._

_ "I… I wasn't… I didn't mean to…" He was beside me faster than I could blink, and before I knew it he had thrown me to the floor._

_ The thud of my body hitting the ground echoed around the hall, mixing with my half-hearted cry of pain. I pulled myself upright and found him looming over me, his eyes crazed with blue fire. I could see the gold beginning to show through, barely masked behind the sea-green, and terror poured through my veins. There was something wrong with him. Very wrong. _

_ "I didn't do anything." I murmured, trying to think of some way to calm him down._

_ "So eavesdropping is doing nothing? So, did you like the show? I'm sure you found it frickin' hilarious." His voice dropped two octaves, sounding less and less like his own with every word. He kicked my side and turned away, anger and darkness seeming to radiate from his skin. I felt pain shoot through me, but I bit my lip so only a whimper escaped, not wanting to antagonize him further._

_ "No, I didn't." I said quietly. He turned back to me._

_ "Well why not?" His voice was deeper still. "You seemed to have enough fun torturing Sora. Why not me too?" he kicked my legs, making me cry out in pain. I heard the whoosh of his soul reaper appearing in his hands. I struggled to pull myself away from him. I pressed myself into the corner, adrenaline and fear making my head spin. I had to do something. He was going to kill me. I shut out the pain in my legs and my head and my side, trying to think of a way out, a way to escape. My blood was pounding through me, making my vision blur. I looked up at him, about to beg, when I noticed his feet. I watched as he walked towards me, counting down in my head._

_ He took a step closer and I was ready. I swung my foot out and ripped his leg from underneath him, sending him crashing to the floor. Using the wall to propel myself forward, I jumped to my feet and dashed away, slamming the door behind me._

_ I was up the stairs in half a second and in the main hallway, not pausing to think as I grabbed my coat from the hanger and raced out the door. I sprinted through the gardens and out of the gates, ignoring the warnings that Diz had given me about never leaving the mansion grounds. I was in the forest before I knew it, running through the trees in the light of the forever setting sun. _

_ I ran for my life, more scared of Riku than I had been of anyone in my entire life. I felt tears pool in my eyes, and before I could wipe them away, they began to stream down my face. My side was killing me, and my head was pounding, but I ignored it. My lungs screeched in pain, begging for more oxygen. My vision swam in my tears, making it impossible to see._

_ I was so alone. All alone. And Riku had… he had tried to kill me. What was I going to do?_

_ But no, I reminded myself, it wasn't Riku. It was Ansem. Ansem had gotten the better of him. Hadn't I just heard him telling Sora that Ansem was getting closer?_

_ But for some reason, this didn't comfort me. It only made me cry harder. I was sobbing in a few seconds, and in another few seconds I felt my foot make contact with a stray root. I tripped onto the forest floor, rolling and bumping, trying to protect the growing bruise on my side as I tumbled. Eventually I skidded to a stop, covered in dirt and scrapes, feeling all of the pain kick in half a second later. It was like the world had turned upside down, and I gasped, my stomach curling with nausea from the pain. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to find the source of the throbbing in my head, and winced when I found the tender spot. When I drew my fingers away, there was blood on them. I curled up into a ball on the ground, lacking the strength to move, allowing myself to drown in self pity. I shuddered and gasped, grasping at the dirt and leaves on the forest floor, knowing if I didn't I would fall from the earth and into the sky. _

_ How had everything gotten so messed up? Sora, the worlds, kingdom hearts… Riku. God. I wished I could help him… but I had no idea know how._

_ After what felt like hours, I eventually found the strength to pull myself up and crawl over to the nearest tree so I could lean against it. I bit my lip to keep from crying out as my head spun and my side throbbed, and I looked around, trying to get my bearings._

_ My stomach sank through my toes. I realized, with absolute horror, that I didn't the slightest idea where I was. I hadn't watched where I was running. And now I had no idea where I had gone. Panic raced into my system. Everything looked the same; there were no distinguishing markers, no sign of the mansion, or the town, or of anything._

_ I began to hyperventilate, fear gripping my heart, and I wrapped my arms around myself unconsciously. And not just because I was lost in the woods with no food, water, or shelter, but because of the words I heard bouncing against the inside of my skull. The strict warnings Diz had given me never to leave the safety of the mansion. In there, I was safe. In there, no one could find me._

_ Because they would try to find me. The nobodies and Organization XIII. They didn't want Sora to wake up. And I was the only one who could make that happen. Diz and Mickey had worked together to make the mansion untraceable to the Organization. But I wasn't in the mansion. I was lost, in the forest, very much alone. And they would come for me._

_ Suddenly, a twig snapped behind me. I rushed to my feet, backing away from the tree, looking around wildly, all of my pain and previous problems forgotten. I began to step backwards, not sure if I was even going away from the noise, or towards it. Then I heard it again. My head snapped to my left, and I felt my stomach fall to my feet. Right on time. A team of Assassins, dusks, Samurais, and two Berserkers stood twenty feet away from me, all staring at me with cold, heartless determination. I didn't think. I simply began to run._

_ I burst through the trees and underbrush, begging my feet to move faster, fighting against my burning lungs. I turned this way and that, trying to lose them among the trees, knowing even as I wound my way through the forest that it was no use. I vaulted over logs and roots, being more careful to watch where I stepped – if I tripped this time, it would be the end of me. I ignored the branches and thorns that scraped across my skin, focusing only on keeping my balance. I didn't look back. I couldn't (not that I needed to to know that they were mere steps behind me). I could feel their shadows clipping at my heels – I could hear their cold breath, calm and unstrained next to my frantic gasps, rattling behind me. Fear bled into my stomach and chest, and I wiped a few frozen tears from my eyes, struggling to only watch my feet. _

_ I saw it out of the corner of my eye a half-second too late. A branch nearly as thick as the other tree trunks in the forest jutted out at the exact height of my face hardly five feet from me. I managed to duck just in time – but in order to avoid the branch, I had to sacrifice my careful focus on my feet. My footing faltered for half a second, and that was, of course, the exact time that my foot happened to lodge itself beneath an enormous root. The second my foot made contact with it, my heart stuttered, and I felt all my feeble hope vanish. I had tripped._

_ The ground flew towards my face, and I threw up my hands to protect myself. I slammed into the hard dirt at full-speed, rolling and sliding for ten feet before coasting to a stop in the middle of a warmly lit glade. I struggled to get to me feet, but my body had finally given up. My joints ached, and my lungs felt as if they had burst into flame. I gulped in oxygen, each breathe burning harshly down my throat. There was a horrible stabbing cramp in my side directly on top of where Riku had hit me. I finally managed to roll onto my side, and tried to suppress the moan of pain that welled on my lips. I felt for the first time the blood rolling down my face and arms from the shallow cuts the branches and trees had given me._

_ I shuddered, wiping the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand. The trees rustled quietly, and I felt my fear spike. They caught up to me. It surprised me how long it had taken them, though. I must have been going faster than I thought. Too bad it didn't matter. I pulled my quaking arms to me, trying to whip out some sort of hidden reserve of strength. I had heard about people who could lift cars when their lives were in danger because of some sort of adrenaline rush. Well, where was mine? I could sure as hell have used some sort of super human strength. I tried again, and shakily pushed myself to my feet, wobbling before I was even upright, as I looked around desperately, trying to think of a way out._

_ But it was no use. They had me surrounded. I was going to die. They would kill me, I was sure. The organization didn't need me alive anymore. I was doomed. And Sora – I had let Sora down. What would happen to him now? Could he ever wake up? And Diz and the King, and Riku, I had let them all down. What would they do? What would happen to the worlds?_

_ The Samurai closest to me began to walk forward, drawing his swords with a metallic _shing_. He raised them above his head, and I closed my eyes, waiting for the blow. I heard the swipe of metal through the air, and flinched, bracing myself for the sharp edges of the blades. _

_ But the blow never came. I opened my eyes slowly, wondering why I hadn't felt him cut me. I blinked, focusing, and my mouth dropped as I watched the Samurai fall to the ground before disappearing into nothingness. The sword that had dealt the fatal strike was extended in front of me, and I followed the pale muscled arm along the shoulder, over the collar bones, up to the neck and eventually to the face of my savior. _

_ My heart soared. _

_ Riku was crouched protectively in front of me, his hands firmly on the Soul Eater, and his eyes back to their normal shimmering blue. His mouth was pulled into a tight grimace, and I could tell from the way he was trembling that he was hardly able to keep his rage in check. What he was so pissed about, I couldn't figure, but I didn't worry. Because he was here, saving my life._

_ "Riku," I breathed, joy and relief flooding through me._

_ "Namine." He said fiercely, never taking his eyes off the nobodies as they recovered and rearranged themselves around this unexpected newcomer. "Run."_

_ He didn't need to tell me twice. I bolted from the glade, barely missing the swipes from the nobodies, and swung myself behind a large tree, hiding within the roots so I could catch my breath. _

_ I peeked through the thick twists of bark and bramble to watch Riku, to make sure he was ok. I could hardly see him through the throng of nobodies, but if I watched closely I would see the occasional flash of sliver or black, and every once in a while a nobody would fall to it's knees and disintegrate into thin air. I found myself sighing in relief, thanking God that he was still well enough to fight. I drew my eyes away from him, looking ahead of me, preparing to run again (even though I still had absolutely no idea where to go). _

_ I crouched on my knees, preparing to take off… but I couldn't. I tried to make my legs move, but they refused. I looked behind me, and felt my heart sink. I couldn't run. Because I couldn't leave him here, all alone, to fight off those creatures. It was my fault they were here in the first place. If I hadn't left the mansion… And now he was risking his life for me? Hadn't he wanted to kill me a half hour ago? Besides, he wanted me to leave. He told me to. I probably would just be more trouble if I stayed. I took a deep breath, trying to make my legs run. But I just __**couldn't**__. I couldn't leave him. It was a puzzling emotion. It was like there was an anchor wrapped around my feet. I simply couldn't move. My instincts and logic didn't matter. I really couldn't leave him._

_ I looked back over to Riku, resolved, and noticed with shock that while there had been more than fifteen nobodies a few moments ago, now there were only five. Two assassins, a dusk, and the two berserkers. Riku dashed across the space and sliced through the dusk and an assassin, then flipped back, hardly jostled. He didn't even seem to have a scratch on him, I realized with a swell of relief._

_ He began to fight the other Assassin, ducking and blocking the many swipes of the nobody's razor arms. I gripped onto the root I was leaning against more tightly, stopping all blood flow to my fingers. I wanted to help him… But I didn't know how. I looked at the two berserkers, wondering why they weren't doing anything. They simply watched the battle between the two, as if they were above such an inconsequential fight. I felt fear swirl in my chest, and I leaned a bit closer to try to get a better look. I grabbed onto a higher branch, attempting to pull myself up on shaking knees, but I overestimated its strength. It broke, quite suddenly, under my weight, the crack echoing throughout the forest like a gun shot. Every head in the glade turned towards me simultaneously. Riku's eyes widened in shock and horror, while the berserkers looked to each other, then began to march towards me, their claymores held aloft. I backed away slowly, trying to make myself run. But they were already on top of me, and there was nowhere for me to go. The nearest on swung his weapon up, and began to bring it down at a blinding speed._

_ "NO!" Riku yelled, reaching towards me. I ducked at the last minute, and dove out of the way. The claymore made contact with the tree I was hiding behind, sending pieces of wood flying throughout the forest, making the tree wobble like a string on a violin. I crawled away as the other took a swing at me, taking an enormous chunk out of a maple directly to my right. They seemed to be taking their time with me, probably because they knew that I couldn't escape. I looked over at Riku desperately, and to my horror saw that he was still turned towards me. This wouldn't have been a problem – if he had remembered to finish off the other Assassin. _

_ "Riku, LOOK OUT!" I cried as the Assassin dove at him. Riku turned a half second too late, and the nobody managed to scrape it's bladed arm across his side. Riku yelled in pain and doubled over, clutching his bleeding stomach. He immediately stabbed the assassin, his arm moving faster than I could blink, and it disappeared in a swirl of light. Using his sword he pushed himself up, and muttered a hasty cure spell to stop the bleeding. He straightened, biting his lip in pain, and turned towards me. _

_ Without warning he ran at the berserkers above me, growling, his eyes cold with determination._

_ I rolled out of the way as he stabbed the berserker that was nearly on top of me. He dodged the attack of the second berserker and parried it's second attempt, managing to get a good jab in before rolling out of the way – straight into the path of the recovered first berserker, which had risen to it's feet, and looked about as pissed off as an emotionless being could._

_ "RIKU!" I screamed, reaching towards him. His eyes shot to mine, but it was too late. The hit threw Riku across the glade and sent him crashing into a far off tree, the claymore flying from the berserker's grasp with the strength of the blow. Riku's body seemed to float for a minute, before coming tumbling down with his arm bent grotesquely behind him. The fall had been too much for his weak cure spell, and his wound had ripped open once more, the blood already beginning to pool beneath him from where the assassin had stabbed him._

_ The two berserkers stomped over to his crumpled form, apparently deciding to finish him off before attending to me. I looked around desperately, trying to find some way to save him – when I spotted the claymore a few feet from me. A new one had already appeared in the berserker's hand, so the old one lay, forgotten, on the forest floor. I sprinted over and grabbed it, surprised to find that it was extremely light, light enough for me to carry. It began to tremble in my hands and glow red, the power held within it beginning to overflow. I had seen this happen before. I had to use it quickly, or it would disappear._

_ I ran over to the two, dragging the claymore over behind me, my eyes on fire. I swung the blade over my head, through the air, and felt it make contact with both of them at the same time. The berserkers were thrown into the air, and from there the claymore seemed to grow a mind of it's own. It twisted upwards, darting this way and that, hitting the berserkers again and again – it was all I could do to hold on. Finally it let the two drop, and then came down with a final crushing blow. The two disappeared instantaneously, and the claymore vanished with them._

_ I felt it's sap on my strength immediately – the claymore must have drawn additional power from my own magic. I felt myself swooning, and I fell to my knees, desperately trying to crawl over to where Riku lay. I had to know if he was ok. Nausea swept over me, and my vision flickered. I made it two feet before finally giving in, allowing myself to sink to the forest floor and into blissful unconsciousness._

Everything_ hurt. I had never felt worse in my entire life. I had never had a hangover, but I imagined what I felt then was probably similar to it – only ten times worse. I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even open my eyes. I felt like my skull was going to split open._

_ "Namine?" The high pitched squeak made me flinch. I opened my eyes slowly, and was relieved to find that the room I was in was dark – the only source of light was a fire flickering in the corner. I wondered dully where I was, and how I had gotten there. It felt like I was on a couch – a very comfy couch I might add – but other than that, everything came up blank. It took all of two seconds for everything to come rushing back to me._

_ "Riku!" I bolted upright, panic pouring into my system. Immediately I regretted the movement – the pain in my head was so bad I thought I was going to lose consciousness again._

_ I groaned, and my hand flew to my forehead. My wrist, I noticed dully, was bandaged._

_ "Whoa, there, slow down, Namine." I looked over to see Mickey holding the wrist of my free hand gingerly, which was also adorned in bandages, trying to soothe me back down onto the bed. I was more than happy to oblige._

_ "Here." He said, holding a strange block up to my face. "Eat this."_

_ "What happened?" I asked desperately "Where's Riku?" My voice was high with my panic, and Mickey's eyes grew even more concerned._

_ "Just eat this first, and I'll explain." I leaned my head against the pillow, but when the mania remained in my eyes he finally sighed. "Riku is just fine Namine. He's got quite a few bumps and bruises, and a broken arm, but he'll be alright. In fact, he's right over there." He motioned to the other couch a few feet away from me. I looked around, and realized that we were in the living room of the mansion. "Please, Namine, just eat this, and you'll feel better, I promise."_

_ "What is it?" I asked. It smelled good. Mickey laughed, and the sound hurt my head._

_ "It's chocolate."_

_ I took the enormous bar and gingerly nibbled a piece. It was, in fact, chocolate. I took a bigger bite, and felt relief sweep through me instantaneously. I suddenly realized I was ravenous. I ate the whole bar in under a minute, then laid my head back, luxuriating at the absence of pain._

_ "Wow, you were right." I said shakily. "That does help."_

_ "Welp, that claymore took a lot out of you. Whenever something drains your energy, the best remedy is food. Sugar is preferable, cuz it restores your body's energy quicker."_

_ I smiled slightly, in spite of myself._

"Thanks Mickey." I murmured, and I felt my eyelids begin to droop. Sleep would have been incredible at that point; but I had a few questions first.

_ "So what happened? How did we get out of the forest?"_

_ "Well, after you ran off, Riku immediately rushed up to Diz for help. Diz sent Riku to look for you, and he was out the door in a second. I came just as he was leaving, and he hardly even looked at me, he seemed so worried. You guys were gone for a while. Diz and I agreed we would wait one hour, then go and look, just in case you two needed to sort something out alone." Mickey looked at me pointedly. I wasn't sure why, but whenever I was around Mickey I had the feeling that he could read my thoughts. It was like he knew everything that happened, regardless of whether he was there or not. It was weird. He just knew everything. "When you guys didn't come back after the sun had set*, the two of us went to look for ya. You were passed out within a few feet of eachother, and eventually after checking your injuries, we were able figure out what happened. Diz carried you back to the mansion, and I healed whatever wounds I could. You were pretty easy, only a few scrapes, though you did have pretty nasty bruise on your side and cut on your head," he gave me that knowing look again, and I shivered. But he continued without pressing the issue further "Riku's gonna take a bit longer to heal, but he'll be up and about soon. But Namine," I looked back towards him. I had been lost in thought, swimming in my relief that Riku was going to be okay. I flinched internally, wondering if he was going to chastise me. "You were wonderful! You saved yourself, and Riku too. He owes you his life. I'm so proud of you." He beamed, and I faltered, taken aback by the turn in conversation. Something swelled in my chest, and I smiled. No one had ever complimented me like that before. It was nice… really nice._

_ "Th-thank you." I whispered, blushing._

_ "Your welcome. Still, though, you gotta be more careful. Especially when dealing with magical objects. If you had held on for much longer, that thing coulda sucked the life right outta ya. That's what happens when you use magic." I nodded, logging that in the back of mind, in case I ever needed it. Mickey looked down and began to shake his head._

_ "What I don't get, though, is why you ran off like that? I know I've told ya that ya gotta stay inside the mansion, unless you're with me, or Diz, or Riku. You coulda been killed today. Why didja do it? What made you leave?"_

_ I looked away from him, my cheeks growing hot. "It was nothing." I muttered to the floor._

_ Mickey crossed his arms, and raised his eyebrows. I refused to look at him. When I said nothing more, he eventually sighed and dropped his arms._

_ "Alright. But you're a smart girl, Namine. I know you wouldn't just go runnin' off for nothing." He frowned, then looked up at me and reached for my hands._

_ "You know, Namine, you can tell me anything. Anything at all. If ya need anything, just ask, and I'll be there. I promise. Okay?" I felt a smile – the first genuine smile I had had in what seemed like an eternity – light up my face. I nodded. "Thank you, your Majesty." I said, trying to make my voice sound as sincere as I felt. Being with the King always made me so happy. He was just such a good person. He never doubted me, or Riku, or Sora, or any of us. He trusted us, and he cared for us. It was touching, knowing this. I don't think anyone had ever legitimately cared about me before._

_ His returning smile was blinding. He squeezed my hands quickly before letting them drop._

_ "Alright, now, why don't you get some rest. I'm sure you're exhausted. You've had a big day."_

_ I smiled gratefully, and sank back onto the couch, snuggling into the warm covers the King had probably laid out._

_ "Night, Sweet dreams." He called from the door._

_ "Good night." I replied.

* * *

_

*In my twilight town, there is night. For me, Twilight Town is kind of like Alaska. The Sun rises and sets, but it never gets very far into the sky. In Twilight Town, the sun only rises halfway, then stays that way for a while, then sets, giving the town the appearance of eternal twilight during the day. Just in case you were confused._

* * *

_

_ It only took a week for me to be feeling much better to the point where I could be up and around the house. I found out, after the King and Diz had given me a proper check up, that in addition to my scrapes and bruises the claymore had managed to sprain both my wrists, and I had a minor concussion from… well, hitting my head. But with a little help from the King's magic and a few days in bed, I was right as rain and back to my old daily routine._

_ Riku, however, was not quite so lucky. He had at least four broken ribs, a concussion, a broken arm, and some extensive internal bleeding, not to mention the gash in his side. Mickey had managed to stop the bleeding and mend some of his bones – but there was only so much he could do. He predicted that Riku would be up in around two weeks – which I thought was odd. I mean, four broken ribs? That kind of stuff took around two months to heal, not two weeks. It took me a while to realize that not only was Mickey's magic still working on him, but Riku's darkness would help too. Mickey stayed around for a while, to my extreme delight, helping to take care of Riku and I, redress our wounds, talk to us, make us food, etc. I was incredibly grateful for this – something in the back of my mind told me that if he wasn't around, those basic things probably wouldn't get done. Diz didn't exactly seem like the… caring type._

_ But after a week he had to leave to take care of… worldly things, I don't know, whatever the king did when he disappeared for extended periods of time. Which was fine with me - at that point I could make my own meals and walk and everything. I did miss the company though. Diz hardly ever even looked at me, much less talked to me. Which is why, a day or so after Mickey left, I was shocked when I heard him call me into his office as I walked past._

_ "Namine. Come here." My eyes widened, and I felt myself panic. What had I possibly done so wrong that Diz actually had to _talk _to me. I seriously considered ignoring him – it's not like he ever answered me when I called (which, as time had passed, came to be never). But, despite my fear, I was curious to what he was going to say, to see if maybe I wasn't in trouble, maybe there was something I needed to know. I could hear a small voice in the back of my head burst into laughter. Yeah. Diz tell me something important. Definitely probable. Nevertheless, I took a deep breath and walked back down the hall into his room. I had never been in Diz's room before, and it turned out to be just as I expected. More books than I could count, a computer, and an uncomfortable air of hatred and self-importance._

_ "Yes Diz." I said, my voice coming out strong, to my surprise. _

_ He said nothing, merely motioning over to a small pile of what looked like gauze and tape on the edge of his desk. He never looked at me, and simply returned back to his work._

_ "Umm…" I mumbled, completely at a loss for what he wanted me to do._

_ "Are you still here? Go. This really cannot wait." He barked in his deep tenor._

_ "Yes, but, what do you want me to do?"_

_ He finally looked up at me, and his gaze sent a chill down my spine. He looked as if he had never been forced to speak to someone more moronic in his entire life._

_ "Riku must be attended to, now that the King has left." _

_ My jaw dropped. Really, I should have seen it coming. Who did I think was going to take care of him now that Mickey was gone? But still, look after Riku? He _hated_ me. As far as I remembered, the last time he and I were put in the same room together, he tried to kill me, then nearly killed himself trying to save me._

_ "B-but" I stammered, unable to stop myself "But, can't you do it"_

_ The look he gave me was one of such pure hatred, I shut my mouth immediately._

_ "No. I can't."_

_ I frowned. Riku was doing everything for him, risking his life for him, and he couldn't even feed him, or help him with his injuries. Wasn't Diz a professor of some sorts at some point? Surely he could dress wounds better than I could. But no. He would stay holed up in his study, and leave the two of us, two teenagers, to take care of everything._

_ "What, can't spare a second to help the boy who's practically killing himself for you? You have bigger problems than that?" I spat, the words jumping from my mouth before I could stop them._

_ Diz didn't look at me for a long time. He continued scribbling something onto a piece of paper, checking his computer screen every so often. When he finally did look up, his eyes were cold, emotionless. I wasn't sure if I didn't like the rage and hatred better._

_ "Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Like you, for example. Running off into the woods so foolishly, and revealing our location to the nobodies. Do you have any idea how long it took the King and I to shield this place so it would be untraceable to them? And now, all our work is wasted. It will only be a matter of time before they send reinforcements to the mansion. I now need to hide it again before that time comes. _

_ "I do hope that this does not occur again, Namine. I have given you a lot of freedom, especially considering what you are. Do not make me regret that decision any more than I already do. Must I lock you in your room, and provide an escort for you to and from Sora's chamber? I hope not. Make sure it does not happen again."_

_ I scowled, trying to hide how his words had stung me._

_ "The only reason you give me this much 'freedom' is because you know I have no where else to go."_

_ Diz actually smiled, but it was scrunched and unpleasant, and obviously mocking._

_ "Hm, cleverer than I thought. I only wish you had figured that out sooner, before you ran away. Now go. You have wasted enough of my time already."_

_ Anger seethed inside me, and I clenched my fists so hard I thought my nails would draw blood. I had half a mind to walk out without the medical supplies, but I reminded myself that Riku really did need help, and if Diz wasn't going to do it, I would have to. I swiped the gauze and the antibiotic bottles hidden behind it and stormed out of his study, slamming the door behind me._

_ I marched all the way to Riku's room in a huff of anger, and I was about to go in like that too, but then I remembered whose room it was. Fear spiked through my stomach, making it clench uncomfortably. I gripped the medical supplies so hard my fingers hurt. And finally, after a few moments of mental preparation, I grabbed the door knob and quietly pushed into Riku's room._

_ The first thing I saw as I looked around was that I couldn't see anything. It was pitch black in the room – the shutters were drawn, and the lights were off. I swallowed, trying to breath past the lump in my throat, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I could just barely make out a bed in the corner, a chair, and a few bookshelves. Other than that, there didn't seem to be much in there. _

_ Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move._

_ "Who's there?" A voice barked into the darkness. I looked over in the direction of the voice, noticing, as my eyes adjusted further, a lump in the bed that was now sitting up. As soon as I turned my face, the lump tensed._

_ "What are you doing here?" I forgot how to breathe, and my pulse raced._

_ "I-I, well, I, Diz, s-said that…" I mumbled, also forgetting how to form a coherent sentence. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself._

_ "Diz asked me to come up and help with your… injuries, because Mickey isn't here."_

_ "Diz can't do it?" I didn't try to hide the hurt on my face when he said that, forgetting, momentarily, that he could probably see it through the darkness._

_ "No. He wants me to." Riku must have seen my expression, because when he spoke again, his voice was considerably softer, almost edging on kindness._

_ "Alright." I stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. I tried to gather my thoughts. The first thing I needed was some light._

_ "Ca-can I open the blinds, to let some light in?"_

_ "If you have to." I placed the medical supplies on a table I could barely make out in the darkness, then stumbled over to the blinds. I drew them quickly, flooding the room with light. I pretended not to see Riku flinch as the sunlight hit him, and instead looked around the room again, trying to get my bearings._

_ It was nice enough, but also very dark. The walls, the curtains, the wood of the floor, the bed the furniture, were all varying shades of black and grey. There was an enormous fire place in the corner, but other than that, it really wasn't very different from my own room. The furniture was simple, rectangular, and modern, and the sheets and curtains were plain and monotone. Like my room, it was fine, but there wasn't much to it. Something that did shock me, however, was the fact that it was very clean. I always assumed Riku wasn't exactly the meticulous type, but if his room was any indication, boy, was I wrong. Then again, it was hard to have a messy room if you didn't have anything to mess it up with._

_ I finally looked up to Riku, the sight that I had been avoiding. I couldn't help but gasp a little at what I saw. He looked terrible – well… er, as terrible as Riku could look. I mean, his injuries looked fine, but there were enormous bags under his eyes, and his face was gaunt and pale. It looked he hadn't slept in a very long time. He was leaning against the pillow with his head tilted upwards, his silver hair tangled and splayed beneath him. I realized with a jolt that he wasn't wearing a shirt. And even with the bandages that covered one of his arms and most of his chest, and his apparent lack of sleep, he looked more like a male model than anyone should have a right to._

_ He never looked at me, but kept his eyes on the ceiling, his mouth in a tight line. I tripped and stumbled over to him hesitantly, nerves wracking my body. It hadn't quite set in yet that not only was I going to spend the next half hour looking at his perfect chest, but I was going to have to touch it too. I grabbed the gauze and antibacterial bottle and placed them on his bedside table, and then cautiously sat on the edge of his bed. He closed his eyes as I approached and moved over to give me enough room. He held out his bandaged arm to me, and I took it that that was what I would be doing first. His arm only needed to be done up once a week, but all the others, namely his chest and his forehead, where he had been cut, had to be replaced everyday, to prevent infection._

_ I began to unwind the makeshift cast already on his arm, watching his eyes carefully to make sure I wasn't hurting him. When he didn't even so much as move, never mind flinch, I picked up the pace. I worked quickly and quietly, only looking at him to gauge how much I was hurting his arm. I was finished in around ten minutes, and focused on breathing in and out, knowing I was going to have to handle his chest next. I looked over at him again, but his eyes were closed, showing off his shimmering purple lids, and his mouth was parted gently, looking as if no one could possibly be more relaxed than he, despite the nearly fatal injuries that dotted along his body. I breathed in deeply, and had to stop myself from leaning closer to him. He smelled __**so**__ good. Bittersweet and cool, like a night at the beginning of fall._

_ I knew what I had to do… but I just couldn't. Feeling more like an idiot than I ever had, I cleared my throat, and watched as his bright blue eyes opened, then focused on me for the first time since I entered the room._

_ "Um, Riku, I'm going to have to…" I motioned to his chest._

_ "Oh." He said so nonchalantly it almost hurt my feelings. He adjusted himself slightly, thinking that that was why I had spoken, rather than the real reason, which was, as stupid as it sounds, to get permission._

_ I knew I couldn't stall anymore without attracting his attention, so I grabbed the piece of wrap closest to me and, with trembling fingers, began to undo it. My breath caught in my chest when I got to the bottom. I was so busy worrying about touching his chest that I forgot to prepare myself for what the wound might look like underneath. It was bad. The edges were jagged and raw, and a scab still had yet to form on some parts of it. It curved all across his torso, marking him with an angry red snake that tangled around his body. It was shiny, puckered, and deep. I swallowed back the urge to vomit, and tried to take comfort in the fact that it wasn't bleeding anymore._

_ I grabbed a cloth towel, told Riku I would be right back, then raced to the bathroom to wet it with warm water. Apparently, Mickey hadn't applied any antiseptic for a while. I wondered dully how he could make such a crucial mistake. Maybe he applied it at the beginning, and simply forgot after Riku woke up. I prayed to God it wasn't infected – especially since the bandage hadn't been changed in two days. _

_ The only reason I knew so much about tending to injuries was because that was pretty much my role at the organization. Other than manipulating Sora's memories, I had been taught, mostly by Vexen, how to handle wounds, mainly so he wouldn't have to. I guess it was finally paying off._

_ I was going to have to clean out Riku's wound again, in addition to putting on antiseptic. Which was going to hurt him. A lot._

_ I walked back to the room slowly, dreading what I was going to have to do. _

_ I sat back beside Riku, who hadn't moved an inch since I had left him, and grabbed the bottle of antiseptic, holding the warm rag in my other hand._

_ "Um, Riku?"_

_ "Yeah." He sounded a little annoyed. I didn't blame him. He really didn't want to talk to me, and at this point it felt like I couldn't shut up._

_ "Well, Mickey hasn't given you any antiseptic lotion in a while, so I'm going to have to clean out the cut again. Which might hurt a bit." I tried to hide how my voice shook, tried to deny even to myself how very _much_ it was going to hurt._

_ "Whatever." He shrugged._

_ "Ok" I whispered, more to myself than to him. I grabbed the cloth, and before I could chicken out, began to dab it gently along the cut. _

_ Riku had been so motionless through the entire process, his reaction scared me out of my wits._

_ "Ah!" He cried in surprise, feeling the bite and sting of the water. His body jerked uncontrollably under my hand._

_ "I'm sorry," I cried, trying to dab the wound again, knowing that it had to be done. But Riku moved away, and I only got a piece of it. Riku cried out again._

_ "Jesus Christ, what are you doing to me?"_

_ "I told you, the wound has to be cleaned."_

_ "Then why didn't Mickey do it too?" He had me there._

_ "He-he must have forgotten. I think he did it once, when you were unconscious, but forgot after that. Or maybe he thought with his magic and your-" my voice dropped so low it was inaudible "darkness, the cut wouldn't need it. But it does, especially since the bandages weren't changed yesterday."_

_ "And whose fault is that."_

_ "Hey, I didn't know I was supposed to be doing this until Diz told me. It's not my fault." Our voices began to rise as our tempers flared, our pent up emotions for each other finally beginning to spill out._

_ "Yeah, says the girl who ran away into a forest thronging with nobodies!"_

_ "Well if you hadn't frightened me, I wouldn't have run away!"_

_ "Well you shouldn't have been eavesdropping on me!"_

_ "I told you before, I was NOT eavesdropping! I didn't mean to hear any of that. I was just walking away when I tripped."_

_ "Sure, I believe that."_

_ "You should, because trust me Riku, I would not run into you on purpose. But from now on, I'll be more careful. I'll try to avoid you even more. Maybe you could do the same for me. God knows every time you see me you act like you're going to kill me. And I don't need that! Do you want Sora to wake up? Then please just let me be!"_

_ "You don't have to worry about that. But if I could just be allowed to keep my guard up, that would be friggin' great. I kind of like my memories, and I really don't feel like losing them."_

_ Something inside me tore, and I felt all my anger from the past months come bubbling out._

_ "SHUT UP! Just shut up, Riku! God, will you listen to yourself? You act like I'm the only one around here with problems! You practically let Ansem come out and kill me the other day! Are you really surprised that I ran away? If you could do the worlds and me a favor and keep the dark voices in your head a bit more contained so I don't have to fear for my life every time I pass you in the hallway, that would be just fantastic!"_

_ The second it was all out I regretted it. It's not as if it wasn't true – it was. And that was probably why Riku's eyes dropped and he remained silent when I finished speaking._

_ I was practically out of breathe I was so worked up, but I calmed when I saw the expression on his face, my anger vanishing as quickly as it had come, and regret taking it's place. I bit my lip and looked away, the antiseptic resting forgotten beside me._

_ "Riku-" I began, my voice shaky. "I-I'm sorry, I… I shouldn't have said that. It's just that I know that this is my fault, with Sora and everything, and I get so angry at myself sometimes... I really am sorry" _

_ Riku didn't look at me for a moment before he finally sighed._

_ "No. I'm sorry too. I know that I'm the one who caused all this… I was selfish, stupid. And I'm sorry that you've had to suffer because of the way I am. I shouldn't blame you, but when I found out that it had been you that… well, you know… I was so eager to place the blame on someone else that I did. But it was wrong. I really don't hate you. And I'm sorry if it came off that way." He said quietly. I felt something inside me jump sporadically, and my cheeks warmed. He didn't hate me. _

_ I grabbed the cloth and the antiseptic, determined to be more gentle this time. Riku flinched occasionally, but overall was very good._

_ "Oh, and thank you." I mumbled as I cleaned up the last of the cut. Riku looked up at me questioningly, so I continued. "For coming after me the other day. You saved my life."_

_ Riku looked up at me, and shifted a little uncomfortably._

_ "You're welcome."_

_- _Riku -

I knew I was dreaming from the start. It was a feeling on the edge of my mind that this, what I was seeing, was not reality, that something was wrong, that the haze at the edge of my vision didn't match up. It was a dream. It felt like a dream. But just because it was a dream didn't mean it didn't wreck me to my core.

It had started out ordinarily enough. I was dreaming of destiny islands, and Sora, and Namine, as I had been for the past few weeks since we had left. I was fighting with Sora on our island, and Namine was watching from the sidelines, sitting on the paopu tree. In my dream she had a heart beat, and when Kairi came running up to us to invite us to dinner, Namine didn't disappear. But then, all of a sudden, everything changed. That was when I figured out I was dreaming. It was like a wave of black had washed over me. It was night, but there were no stars, and no ground for me stand on. I merely floated, trying to peer through the swirling blue-black, trying to keep my heart under control. I clenched my fists, trying to keep my arms and hands from trembling.

"Hello!" I called out. "Who's there?"

The soft chuckle that came from behind me made me immediately regret asking that question. I turned around, ice pouring into my stomach, to see Ansem floating a few feet from me, arms crossed, gold eyes flaring.

"Why hello Riku. Long time no see. It's been a few weeks, at least."

"Ansem. What do you want?"

"Well now that is a stupid question."

"Why?"

"Oh come now Riku. After all this time must we still play these games. We both know you know the answer to that. I can feel the truth fluttering inside you, begging to be let free."

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

Ansem rolled his eyes and tossed his head, exasperated. I begged my heart to quiet, to not tell me the answers that I already knew. I refused to give him the satisfaction. Not to mention the fact that it scared the hell out of me that he was right, and that I did already know. But I only knew a piece of it. I knew that somehow, he was getting stronger.

"Very well." He sighed, rubbing his eyebrows with his forefingers. "If you insist on being difficult, I'll play along. Soon, it won't matter anyway." A wicked smile grew on his face, making me want to vomit.

"I am being reborn." He said grandly, extending his arms and clenching his fingers, as if to illustrate his growing power. I felt the truth of the statement wash over me, and I realized with a jolt that my heart had known this – I simply had refused to listen. "A war is coming, Riku." Once again, the sickening sense of conviction overwhelmed me. "And when it does, I want you on my side. On the side of darkness. You know very well what happens when the heartless and nobody of an individual are killed. You will find that I am growing stronger by the day. Can you feel it? My power over you? Ah, yes, I can see by your eyes that you can. But don't be frightened Riku. It shouldn't hurt too terribly. Unless, of course, you attempt to resist."

"You have no power over me!" I lied through my teeth, spitting the words, begging them to be true. Ansem's smirk merely grew. "Besides, I left the islands. You won't be able to hurt anyone, especially Sora. And on my own, I can resist. I'll be able to fight you off."

"No." He said so softly I felt my core freeze. "No, Riku, your leaving has sealed your fate. Without the light of your friend's hearts to protect you, your defenses are weakened. And you will fall Riku. And then you will come crawling back to me."

I growled, my anger growing, trying to outmatch my fear. "Fine. Then I'll return to the islands. And you won't be able to touch me."

"No you won't," He said so calmly, I almost believed him. "Not when you are this… vulnerable. You wouldn't want to put your friends in danger now, would you?" As he spoke, he reached towards me, contorting his fingers. Immediately I felt an unrelenting, undeniable pull inside me, and to my horror, I watched as my arm, completely off it's own accord, rose in front of me.

"No!" I cried, trying to regain control of myself. "No…" I said weakly, feeling my heart stammer and shudder under the weight of Ansem.

"Face it Riku. One day soon, you will be mine. And then we shall rule the universe together, servant and master. Yes, fear me, hate me. The stronger your emotions, the more out of control you are, and the more vulnerable you are to me."

"ARGH!" I cried out, feeling his iron grip on my heart stiffen. It was so painful to resist, more painful than I had imagined it would be. I looked up to him, debating whether to submit right then, and save myself all the pain and suffering, when to both of our surprise, light began to flood my dream.

A voice, softer than down, floated to me on the light.

"Riku. Riku! Riku, are you okay?"

Namine. Ansem growled and hissed beside me, unable to stand the light. I looked over and watched him begin to fade, but not before he managed another mocking smile.

"Resist me while you can, Riku. You will be mine. I am a patient man. Though, I have a feeling it won't take very long." And with that, he had vanished, and I was heading towards the light of Namine's voice, telling me that it was time to wake up_. _

- Namine -

"Riku! Riku! Riku, wake up!" Riku twisted feverishly in my arms, struggling to find his way out of the dream. His screams had woken me up a few minutes earlier.

"Riku!" I shook him again, gently, and wiped away the hair that was plastered to his dripping face. His skin was on fire, and he was flailing like a fish caught in a net. It was all I could do to keep him on the bed.

Then, all of a sudden, his eyes shot open, and for half a second they were a bright, menacing orange – but then he blinked, and they changed to a manic fiery ice blue so quickly I wondered if I had imagined the gold.

He jerked from my arms and onto the cabin floor, shuddering and twisting as though being burned from the inside out. Before I knew what was happening he was on his hands and knees, gasping and choking and dry heaving.

"Riku!" I cried, and rushed over to him, putting my hands on his shoulders. But the minute I touched him he flinched away, staring up at me with half crazed eyes. He growled and moaned, and for a minute I thought he was going to hit me away. His eyes frightened me like nothing I had ever seen. There was no cognizance, no sense of recognition, and absolutely no Riku in those eyes. It was like he was a mad, caged animal that was trying desperately to free itself. He backed himself against the dresser, nearly knocking it over. He growled and spat and foamed, and every instinct within me told me to run, to get as far away from him as possible.

But all sense had shut off for me as well. Without even thinking I raced back over to him and placed my hands firmly on either side of his face, holding them there even when he tried to jerk away, and looking deep into his eyes.

"Riku! Riku, wake up! It's only a dream! It was only a dream! Riku!" I shook his head, and he seemed to calm slightly. He stopped struggling, at least, but the mad look in his eyes refused to fade.

"Riku! LOOK AT ME! Riku, it's me, Namine. You're alright! Everything's alright." The minute I said my name, his eyes seemed to altered. The madness was gone in an instant. All that was left was Riku. He looked around for a moment, trying to get his bearings, before his eyes found me, and the fear in them settled slightly.

Then, without warning, he began to jerk and shiver again, doubling over in pain, a cry escaping his lips.

"Riku!" My hands had fallen from him as he curled into the floor, but when I went to hold him again he put a hand up.

"No, Namine, no. I'm alright." He struggled, his pain injected into every syllable. His face was white and clammy, and all the veins in his arms had popped out from his shuddering. He began to dry heave again, and I crawled away, trying to give him space, since that was what it seemed like he wanted.

He finished, then rolled onto his back, shuddering and quivering, pain etched into every line of his face.

"What is it?" I said, my voice jumping at least three octaves. "Riku, what's wrong?" I couldn't keep the panic from my voice. I was on the verge of tears. I had never seen him like this.

He only managed to croak out one word. "Ansem." He whispered. He convulsed again, turning onto his side, sweat pouring down his face, his eyes tearing. "He's – he's trying to – and I-I can't- AHHH!" He cried out again, and I felt pain spasm through my own chest from his agony.

I longed to touch him, to hold him, to comfort him, but every time I inched closer, he would lean away.

"What do you need? What do you want me to do?"

"N-nothing. Stay away – argh! I-I don't wa-want him to hurt you."

After two more minutes, I couldn't stand it. His screams were making me bleed and break. Before he could move away I cradled him in my arms and held him to me as I kneeled beside him. At first his convulses increased, but I refused to let go, even as he cried out. After a few more moments I found him clutching himself to me he clutched as if I was the only thing left in the world to hold on to. His hands dug into my back and sides, but the pain felt good. It was so much better to feel my pain than his. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him as he quaked, and after a moment, the shivers began to die down. His body temperature began to drop rapidly, and soon he was freezing and shivering from cold rather than torment. He convulsed occasionally, his face doubling up in pain, but after what seemed like an eternity, this stopped too.

I could see a faint light on the edge of the horizon through our small window before he stopped completely – and even then he was frozen. His clothes were soaked from his sweat, and his body temperature seemed dangerously low. He began to doze in my arms, and gently, I leaned him back against the dresser, and began to back away so I could find him some new clothes. The second my arms left, he whimpered, and his hand involuntarily clamped onto my wrist. But I hushed him and told him I would be back in a moment, and finally his fingers fell away.

I searched through the dresser and grabbed the first clothes I could find, then ran over to the corner of the room where we kept a bucket of water for drinking and such, and used one of his clean socks as a wash cloth. I pulled his clothes off, too tired and concerned to be embarrassed, leaving his underwear on, and began to wipe him down, trying to clean off his sweat. There was blood on his skin as well, and I was horrified to find that his nails had actually opened the skin on his hands and arms, as if he had been clawing at himself during his fit, and that he had bitten his lips into a pulp. I finished cleaning him quickly, because I knew the cold water must feel horrible to him, although he wouldn't show it, despite how close to sleep he was.

I grabbed the clothes I had picked out and slid them over him, then convinced him to stand up so I could help him over to his bed.

He seemed to fall asleep before his head hit the pillow, but he was still shivering, so I grabbed all the blankets on my bed and threw them over him too. I was about to return to my bed when I felt a hand on my wrist, far more gently this time.

"Will you stay with me?" He whispered, his eyes wide, not with shame, but with a fear and exhaustion so complete it broke my non-existent heart. "You're warm."

I nodded slowly, knowing that he could have asked me to jump off the ship and swim to the bottom of the ocean and I would have done it without hesitating. Besides, I needed him to be in my arms again after that. It felt so much like I was losing him. It was a miracle that he had come back. I wanted to hold him and never let him go.

I lowered myself under the covers and snuggled up close to him, wrapping my arms around him. He did the same, pressing me to him. Neither of us felt ashamed. Neither of us felt anything, except for how completely right it was to be in each other's arms, and how wonderful it felt to have our missing pieces by our sides once more.

* * *

Poor Riku =( Not gonna lie, I cried a little bit while writing this part. I cried while writing a lot of the parts of this story. But ugh, now I have to give Port Royal some sort of plot - and that is gonna be SOOOO tedious. I wish I could jsut skip to all the good memories I already have written lol. That would make my life so much easier. But then, you guys wouldn't get the whole story. It's a rock and a hard place.


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